Naga Vamsi breaks silence on disrespecting Boney Kapoor, says, "You don’t need to teach us how to respect elders..."

Naga Vamsi and Boney Kapoor

Producer Naga Vamsi has clarified that his comments regarding the influence of South cinema on Bollywood were not intended to disrespect Boney Kapoor. In a roundtable discussion with Galatta India, the two producers had opposing views, and while the debate sparked some online controversy, Vamsi emphasized that he meant no disrespect to Kapoor.

The disagreement drew attention as some viewers felt Vamsi’s tone was less courteous than expected, but he clarified his intentions afterward.

A trade analyst on X (formerly Twitter) accused Vamsi of disrespecting Boney Kapoor during the roundtable. In response, Vamsi defended himself, stating that Boney is more respected in the South than in Bollywood. He also shared that both he and Boney had a good laugh following the session, clearing the air.

He wrote, "You don’t need to teach us how to respect elders, we respect boney ji more than u guys do and there was no disrespect towards boney ji in that conversation it was a healthy discussion, me and boney ji had a nice laugh and hugged each other after the interview… So please dont come to your conclusions with just what you saw."

You dont need to teach us how to respect elders, we respect boney ji more than u guys do and there was no disrespect towards boney ji in that conversation it was a healthy discussion, me and boney ji had a nice laugh and hugged each other after the interview So please dont
Naga Vamsi (@vamsi84) December 31, 2024

During the roundtable discussion, Vamsi commented on the impressive performance of South Indian cinema this year in comparison to Hindi films, highlighting the increasing success and influence of Southern films in the industry.

Vamsi mentioned, “One thing, sir, you have to accept this. It might sound really harsh. We, South Indians, have changed the way you (Bollywood) look at cinema. Because, you guys (Bollywood), were stuck in making films for Bandra and Juhu. You witnessed a change with Baahubali, RRR, Animal and Jawan.” When Boney tried to disagree, Vamsi interrupted him, leading to many pointing out his ‘rudeness’.

Post this comment, filmmakers like Hansal Mehta and Sanjay Gupta slammed Vamsi on social media.

Vamsi, known for producing hits like Jersey, Bheemla Nayak, and Rang De, has also worked on recent projects such as Guntur Kaaram, Lucky Baskhar, Tillu Square, and Gangs of Godavari. Additionally, he produced the highly anticipated Daaku Maharaaj, starring Balakrishna and Bobby Deol, set for release on January 12. On the other hand, Boney Kapoor, renowned for films like Mr India, Judaai, and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, has most recently produced Maidaan.