Ram Gopal Varma apologises to then child actor Sushma Anand for putting her through 'traumatic experience' in 1989 classic Shiva: "Directorial greed in me took over in being blinded..."

Ram Gopal Varma reacts to famous chase scene in Shiva

Nagarjuna starrer 1989 Shiva is all set to re-release in the theatres, and director Ram Gopal Varma reminisces about behind-the-scenes moments. However, he has also apologised to Sushma Anand Akoju, who was a young girl at the time, which also marked her debut film.

She starred in the famous stunt scene with Nagarjuna. In a chase scene, Nagarjuna's character, Shiva, is attacked while riding a bicycle with his young niece, Sushma.

RGV took to his X (formerly Twitter) to share a clip from the famous scene introducing Sushma to his followers. He wrote, “This is the grown up girl Sushma from the iconic cycle chase scene in SHIVA where she is sitting scared on the bar with @Iamnagarjuna cycling in tension. @symbolicsushi is now doing research in AI and Cognitive Science in the USA.”

Hey @symbolicsushi please accept my sincere apologies after 36 years for subjecting you to such a traumatic experience which I dint realise at that time ..The directorial greed in me took over in being blinded to subjecting a little girl like you to such risky shots ..I apologise… https://t.co/NWzrRzl9Ib

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) November 12, 2025

She tweeted, “Thank you, sir! Honoured to be remembered as part of Shiva's legacy. That experience as a child was unforgettable, and I'm grateful to have contributed to such an iconic film. Wishing you @RGVzoomin and @iamnagarjuna continued success with the Shiva 4K release!”

The filmmaker then apologised to Sushma for putting her through a ‘traumatic experience.’

He continued, “Hey @symbolicsushi, please accept my sincere apologies after 36 years for subjecting you to such a traumatic experience which I didn't realise at that time. The directorial greed in me took over in being blinded to subjecting a little girl like you to such risky shots...I apologise once again.”

Sushma responded to the apology and wrote, “Being part of Shiva is a cherished memory. That cycle chase adventure influenced me and prepared me for later intellectual endeavours and adventures. I felt safe and excited to be part of something magical. Shiva remains a souvenir.”

Also Read: Ram Gopal Varma admits copying Nagarjuna’s Shiva from Bruce Lee’s Return of the Dragon: "I came up with the one-line idea"

About Shiva

Shiva was released in the theatres in 1990 and explored violence and politics on campuses, and starred Nagarjuna as a student. At the time of its release, the movie was regarded as groundbreaking.

The film stars Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni and Raghuvaran in the lead roles. A remastered version of it will be re-released in theatres on November 14.