During the pre-release event for Thandel, Sai Pallavi’s comments about director Sandeep Reddy Vanga have stirred up a storm on social media, as some of her fans voiced disappointment over her praise for the filmmaker. The actress, who is known for her bold and unfiltered opinions, described Vanga as “unfiltered and unapologetic,” a remark that has sparked mixed reactions from her fanbase.
In her speech, Sai Pallavi lauded Vanga’s directorial voice, saying, “Every director should have a voice within them, and yours is so unfiltered—on screen, in your interviews, and wherever you go. There’s absolutely no filter, and it’s so nice and refreshing to see someone who isn’t influenced by a lot of things around. Sometimes, we feel the need to change ourselves to please people. But as humans, when we are unapologetic, it’s a revelation in itself. You realize that things happen for the best.”
“Every director should have a voice, and #SandeepReddyVanga has such a voice, being unfiltered on and off-screen without being influenced by many other things.” – #SaiPallavi at #Thandel Jaathara Event. pic.twitter.com/0SDSWhuMzd — Gulte (@GulteOfficial) February 2, 2025
She continued, praising Vanga’s journey, “When your passion is in the right place—like how you went from making Arjun Reddy to making a film up north, and now you’re doing even bigger films—people look forward to your movies. That, I think, is such a big thing.”
However, her comments did not sit well with a portion of her fans. After a video of the speech surfaced online, fans quickly took to social media to express their disapproval. Some criticized her praise of Vanga, with one comment reading, “Clown opinion,” while others remarked, “Didn’t expect this from you” and “Sai Pallavi is losing aura points.”
A critical comment from a user noted, “Being unfiltered doesn’t mean justifying toxicity in interviews and movies. This just proves once again that most cinema stars are out of touch.” Many fans also voiced their appreciation for Ananya Panday, who had previously expressed disapproval of the glorification of toxic masculinity in films like Kabir Singh on the talk show Koffee with Karan. One fan wrote, “This made me like Ananya Panday; she had the courage to stand up to misogyny.”
Vanga, who has faced backlash for the misogynistic and violent themes in his films such as Kabir Singh and Animal, has nevertheless achieved massive box office success with both projects. Kabir Singh grossed ₹377 crore worldwide, while Animal surpassed ₹900 crore globally.
Meanwhile, Sai Pallavi is set to star alongside Naga Chaitanya in Thandel, a romantic action thriller that is set to release on February 7. Directed by Chandoo Mondeti, the film is inspired by a real-life incident involving fishermen from Srikakulam who accidentally ventured into Pakistani waters.