Minister stirs up controversy at an animal event by stating to Ranbir Kapoor, “The people from Telugu will dominate Hindustan, including Bollywood, in the near future.”
Ranbir Kapoor found himself unable to do anything but smile when Minister Malla Reddy spoke about Telugu dominance in India over the next five years during “The Animal” pre-release event in Hyderabad on Friday. The event, attended by the film’s team, featured special guests including actor Mahesh Babu, filmmaker SS Rajamouli, and Telangana’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Malla Reddy. However, Reddy stirred controversy with his statement about Telugu people ruling over India.
Taking the stage, Malla Reddy addressed Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor in Hindi, saying, “Ranbir ji, I want to tell you something. In the next five years, Telugu people will dominate over India, Bollywood, and Hollywood. You will also have to shift to Hyderabad next year. Why? Because Mumbai is now outdated, and Bengaluru is facing traffic jams. The only city in India is Hyderabad.”
He also praised Telugu artists Rajamouli, Mahesh Babu, Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and actor Rashmila Mandanna.
The speech embarrassed Telugu film fans and Twitter users in general, with many commending Ranbir for maintaining his composure. Some defended Malla Reddy, attributing his statements to political motives, while others were offended by what they perceived as mockery of Bollywood and Hindi audiences by the Telugu leader.
Animal is set to release on December 1 and features Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. The A-rated violent film has a runtime of 3.20 hours.
