Veteran Director Faces Heat Over Viral Video With Keerthy Krithi

Veteran Telugu filmmaker K Raghavendra Rao has landed in the middle of a social media storm after a video from the launch of director Anil Ravipudi’s upcoming film went viral.

The film, starring Venkatesh Daggubati, Nandamuri Kalyanram, Keerthy Suresh and Krithi Shetty, was formally launched in Hyderabad on Thursday. As part of the traditional muhuratam ceremony, Raghavendra Rao was invited to direct the inaugural shot.

The event saw several big names from the Telugu film industry in attendance. Producer Allu Aravind gave the ceremonial first clap, while Dil Raju, Suresh Babu and others were also present.

However, it was one particular video from the ceremony that triggered a debate online.

In the viral clip, the 84-year-old director is seen positioning the actors for the shot. He first holds Keerthy Suresh by the hand and pulls her closer before appearing to change his mind and guiding Krithi Shetty instead.

He is also seen instructing Venkatesh and Kalyanram on how to place their arms on the actresses’ shoulders for the scene.

The video soon spread widely on X, with several users criticising the senior filmmaker for allegedly touching the actresses unnecessarily. Some called the gesture inappropriate, while others questioned why he could not direct the scene without physical contact.

One user wrote that the filmmaker appeared to be touching actresses too often, while another asked who had given him the right to touch women without their consent. A third user called the behaviour “creepy” and said the scene could have been explained without touching the actors.

At the same time, some social media users defended Raghavendra Rao, saying he was only directing the inaugural shot and showing the actors their positions.

The controversy has also revived memories of an earlier viral incident involving Niharika Konidela. Referring to that episode, some users said this was not the first time the veteran director had faced criticism over such visuals.

One user wrote that after the earlier backlash, people expected him to be more careful in public events, but the latest clip had once again brought the same discussion back.

So far, neither Raghavendra Rao nor the actresses involved have issued any public statement on the controversy.