Mumbai: Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s brother Pranay Reddy Vanga has thrown an open challenge at film critics, asking them to try and “kill” Prabhas’ much awaited film Spirit with their reviews. His comments have added another layer of buzz around the upcoming action drama.
The ongoing debate between filmmakers and critics has taken another turn, with Pranay Reddy Vanga making it clear that he is not too worried about negative reviews.
While speaking about his latest production Romanchakam, Pranay took a dig at critics who, according to him, have the power to influence the audience’s opinion about a film. He argued that filmmakers put months or even years of hard work into making a movie, while a critic can watch it and give a verdict within a few hours.
Pranay then brought up Spirit, the upcoming film directed by his brother Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Prabhas.
His message to critics was simple: if reviews really have the power to damage a movie, they can try doing the same with Spirit.
When asked whether he was actually challenging critics, Pranay did not back away. He reportedly agreed that it was indeed a challenge and said the team was confident about the film.
The comments come after Romanchakam received a mixed response following its theatrical release on September 3. The film, directed by Venu Gopal Reddy, stars Sumanth Prabhas and Ananthika Sanilkumar. The story follows a young man who develops a dating app and eventually finds himself falling in love.
But Spirit is on a completely different scale.
The film has Prabhas in the lead and is being directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the filmmaker behind Arjun Reddy and Animal. Triptii Dimri is the female lead. The film is currently scheduled to hit theatres on March 5, 2027.
Several rumours surrounding the project have also made headlines, including reports about casting changes. Triptii Dimri came on board after Deepika Padukone exited the project. There have also been reports linking other big names to the film, although the makers have clarified that some of those names are not part of the cast.
With Prabhas massive fan following and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s track record of creating controversial films, expectations around Spirit are already extremely high.
Now, Pranay Reddy Vanga has made the challenge even more interesting. Critics will get their chance to review Spirit when it finally arrives in theatres. Until then, his bold statement is certain to keep the film in the spotlight.
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