Producer Naga Vamsi reacts to Hridayam Lopala being left out of Kingdom: ‘Wanted to See Vijay Deverakonda Kiss?’

Hari Hara Veera Mall Bts story by director Director Jyothi Krishna

The first single from Kingdom, "Hridayam Lopala," which was composed by Anirudh Ravichander, went viral due to its visuals, which featured Vijay Deverakonda and Bhagyashri. Fans expressed their dissatisfaction on social media after discovering that the romantic song was absent from the theatrical release.

Producer Vamsi discussed the lack of the song in the movie at a recent press conference. In his trademark witty manner, Hridayam Lopala responded to the question of why he was left out of the final cut by saying, "You saw the movie, right? Where would Hridayam Lopala even fit in, please? You tell me and I’ll fit it there!”

He continued by acknowledging the online discussion surrounding the song's exclusion. The media laughed as he joked, "I know a lot of people felt bad—especially lovers—probably because they wanted to see Vijay Deverakonda kiss, and they missed it."

He did, however, provide a more sombre explanation for the choice. “We tried a lot, but we couldn’t fit it into the intensity of the film overall. Many people believe it lags in the second half of the movie and are recommending that we move it there. However, the final twenty minutes only work because the movie slows down at that point. The song would have lessened that momentum.

Regarding Kingdom, Vijay Deverakonda plays Suri, a police constable who turns spy and is dispatched by the Indian government on a secret mission to Sri Lanka. His incentive? To find Siva, his long-lost brother (Satyadev), Malayalam actor Venkitesh makes his Telugu debut as Murugan, while Bhagyashri portrays Dr. Madhu.

Also Read: Kingdom box office collection day 1: Vijay Deverakonda’s film opens strong with Rs 15.50 Cr

During the conversation, Vamsi also proudly declared that Kingdom is "technically the best film" that has been released in 2025 to date. He emphasised the work that went into the scale and production design of the movie by saying, "We made this film to Hollywood standards."

Fans may one day see Hridayam Lopala in an OTT version or director's cut, even though it may not have found a theatrical home.