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All about the filmy Manchu Manoj-Mohan Babu feud: When did first cracks appear, brother turns against brother and more

Dec 10, 2024 02:30 PM IST

The rift between veteran Telugu actor Mohan Babu and his son Manchu Manoj escalate. Allegations reflect a long-standing feud within the Manchu family.

Veteran Telugu actor Mohan Babu filed a complaint against his youngest son, Manchu Manoj, and his wife, Mounika, on December 9 stating that he feared for his safety and Manoj and his wife had forcibly occupied his home. He alleged that the couple wanted to seize his residence in Jalpally, Hyderabad. In a counter complaint, Manoj alleged that ten unidentified people entered his house on Sunday night and when he confronted them, there was a fight during which he sustained injuries. He then put out a post on X (formerly Twitter) stating, “It deeply saddens me to address the malicious, false, and baseless allegations raised against me and my wife, Mounika, by my father, Dr. M. Mohan Babu. These claims are not only untrue but also part of a deliberate effort to defame me, silence my voice, and create unnecessary family strife.” (Also read: Manchu Manoj calls his father Mohan Babu's claims 'malicious, false', seeks investigation: It's an effort to silence me)

The Manoj Babu family has long been embroiled in controversies.
The Manoj Babu family has long been embroiled in controversies.

But what exactly went wrong between the two? Here's all we know:

The Mohan Babu family tree

Yesteryear Telugu star Mohan Babu has acted in more than 500 films and is a producer too. He has three children – Manchu Vishnu, Manchu Lakshmi and Manchu Manoj. While Manchu Vishnu and Manchu Lakshmi are born to his first wife Vidya Devi, Manchu Manoj is his son from Vidya Devi’s younger sister, Nirmala Devi, whom he married after Vidya’s demise.

Manchu Manoj (41) got married to Bhuma Mounika Reddy in March 2023, with whom he has a seven-month-old daughter named Devasena. Incidentally, this is the second marriage for both Manoj and Mounika. Manoj and Mounika are currently living at their father’s residence in Hyderabad. Vishnu Manchu (43) is married to Viranica Reddy and they have four children. Vishnu shifted to Dubai in 2023. Lakshmi Manchu (47) is married to Andy Srinivasan and they have one daughter. Lakshmi shifted to Mumbai recently from Hyderabad. Manoj, Vishnu and Lakshmi are actors and producers in the Telugu film industry.

The Mohan Babu family feud

The recent publicly made allegations by both Mohan Babu and his youngest son Manchu Manoj are the latest in a long-standing rift within the family. Media reports from Telugu film industry state that the issue between Manoj and Vishnu started several years back and has now snowballed into a public rift with allegations being made by Mohan Babu and Manoj against each other.

Going back a few years, Vishnu had been living with his family at his father, Mohan Babu’s residence, and Manoj had been living separately. However, in 2023, Vishnu made the decision to move with his family to Dubai. It is reported that when Vishnu moved out, Manoj’s mother, Nirmala Devi, put pressure on Manoj to move in with them.

However, the issues between the Manchu brothers had been brewing for many years. Many reports state that the feud between the brothers is related to the division of the family business and properties. It is also alleged that the Manchu family didn’t approve of Manoj’s marriage to Mounika. But Manoj did get married to Mounika in Lakshmi Manchu’s home in Hyderabad in an intimate ceremony in 2023.

According to FilmyFocus, Mohan Babu’s net worth as of 2022 was over 589 crore. While his main source of income is obviously films, Mohan Babu has numerous educational institutions, including the Mohan Babu University and Sree Vidyanikethan Educational Trust. Vishnu was made the Pro-Chancellor of Mohan Babu University and the Chairman and founder of New York Academy and Springboard Educational Trust, which runs preschools and schools. Manoj, however, has reportedly not been given a position in the business and this was a big bone of contention for him.

As for movies, Mohan Babu is the owner of the production company, Sree Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures, and co-owner in two others, 24 Frames Factory and Manchu Entertainment. Vishnu is the owner of 24 Frames Factory, while Laskhmi is the owner of Manchu Entertainment. Manoj launched his own production house titled MM Arts in 2019, which he apparently started without his father’s support. His first co-production, Aham Brahmasmi, was with his mother Nirmala Devi. However, this movie, said to be Manoj’s dream project, is still not complete and it looks like the production house wasn’t a success either.

The 2023 incident

Coming to 2023, in March Manoj posted a video on Facebook where he made allegations that Vishnu barged into his house and beat up two close aides of Manoj. Manoj never stated what the dispute was about but said that Vishnu does this often. He was heard saying in the video, “This is how he came to the house and beat our men. This is the situation.” Manoj deleted the video subsequently but it made headlines in the media.

Meanwhile, Vishnu dismissed the whole issue with a tweet stating, “This is just the beginning…#HOM #HouseOfManchus.” While some people said they would be doing a reality show a la Kardashians, this was denied by both Manoj and Lakshmi. The whole thing died down quickly.

The MB University issue in 2024

Before the current allegations emerged in the media, there was a whistleblower at Mohan Babu University who posted on social media about Manchu Vishnu allegedly misusing university funds for the Movie Artists Association elections, financial irregularities and mistreating students and staff. The allegations created outrage among parents of students and some parents apparently filed complaints with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) as well.

At the time, Manoj in response to these allegations, put out a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) defending his father, “I’ve been made aware of concerns at @IVidyanikethan #MBUniversity from it deeply saddens me. My father, Chancellor Sri Dr. Mohan Babu garu, has always prioritized the well-being of students and the Rayalaseema community, which is reflected in the success of these institutions. With his vision and passion in mind, I want to offer my full support to both parents, Students and @AISFofficial during this time. I’ve already reached out to Executive Director Mr. Vinay to assess the situation, and I’m awaiting his feedback. Please feel free to email me at mm.mbu0419@gmail.com with any concerns, and I will personally bring them to my father’s attention. We remain committed to supporting our students and community.”

The entire controversy died down eventually but it seems to have caused further fissures in the Vishnu-Manoj relationship.

As of now, with both Mohan Babu and Manchu Manoj registering police complaints against each other, it remains to be seen if the dispute is settled amicably.

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