Vijay Deverakonda called the online clash between his film Ranabaali and Jailer 2 manufactured hate. At a Thursday trailer launch in Hyderabad, the actor said, “90% of it is manufactured.” He claimed many trolls are paid to promote one film over another and he has no plans to change himself.
Vijay Deverakonda slammed online trolls targeting his upcoming film Ranabaali, calling the negativity manufactured hate and claiming trolls are paid to prefer Jailer 2.
Vijay Deverakonda is used to being talked about on social media, but the actor isn’t always convinced that the criticism he receives is genuine. With his next film, Ranabaali, set to clash with Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 at the box office, the actor has now spoken about the online chatter surrounding him and his film.
Vijay was in Hyderabad on Thursday for the trailer launch of Ranabaali, which also stars Rashmika Mandanna. During his interaction with the press, he was asked about the hate he faces online. The actor had quite a bit to say about people who criticise him and question his choices.
Vijay made it clear that he doesn’t see the point of changing himself just because some people don’t like his personality or the way he works. He questioned whether he should give up on his dreams simply because others don’t agree with him.
“Should I stop because someone thinks my dreams and hard work are unnecessary? Should I start acting because someone thinks my honesty comes off as arrogance? Should I step back because someone thinks my self-confidence comes across as pride? If they cannot digest my journey, must I sit at home?" he asked.
He then added that he had no plans to change himself to please his critics. “I won’t change; they’re the ones who need to. I wish people concentrated on bettering themselves for their families. I enjoy success stories a lot."
The conversation also turned to the online comparisons between Ranabaali and Jailer 2, which are releasing just a day apart. Vijay claimed that much of the negativity he sees online is planned and that some people are paid to promote one film over another. “First of all, we can’t even call it hate. Because 90% of it is manufactured. There’s a batch that drops Reels at a time that they’d rather watch Jailer 2 over Ranabaali, despite it being a Telugu film," he said.
Vijay also explained why he believes such criticism isn’t always genuine. According to him, when the same opinions keep appearing across social media, there could be more to it than people simply sharing their views. “People can have opinions, but if you see the same opinion everywhere, it’s manufactured. What they must understand is that the attacks they’re paid for today, AI will do tomorrow. No one can stop it. The person paying them will stop."
The actor also questioned why people use social media to pull others down instead of focusing on something positive. “Use social media to promote and better things. What is the point of using it to bring down someone? But that’s the world we live in, what to do?"
Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, Ranabaali stars Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna. The film marks another collaboration between Vijay and Rahul, who previously worked together on the 2018 film Taxiwaala.
Jailer 2, meanwhile, stars Rajinikanth and is directed by Nelson Dilipkumar. It is the sequel to their 2023 hit Jailer.
The two films are arriving in theatres a day apart, with Jailer 2 releasing on October 15 and Ranabaali following on October 16. While Jailer 2 is originally a Tamil film and Ranabaali a Telugu film, both are scheduled to release in all South Indian languages as well as Hindi.