Guntur Kaaram producer gets defensive at press meet: ‘Your intellectual opinions haven’t hurt us’

The producer of Guntur Kaaram, Naga Vamsi, held a press meet in Hyderabad to talk about the film’s success in its first week.

Trivikram Srinivas’ Guntur Kaaram, starring Mahesh Babu, Sreeleela, Ramya Krishnan and Prakash Raj in the lead roles, was released on January 12 and received mixed reviews. The film collected ₹212 crore worldwide in its seven-day run. The film's producer, Naga Vamsi, held a press meet in Hyderabad to talk about the film and even got defensive when he was asked certain questions. (Also Read: Guntur Kaaram review: Mahesh Babu is the saving grace of this bland film with nothing new to offer)

Mahesh Babu in a still from Guntur Kaaram

‘We didn’t promote it well’

Naga opened up at the press conference that he personally believes the initial negative reviews for the film were due to him and the team not setting up the right expectations and not due to anything else. “We did not make it clear that this is a proper Trivikram film, it tells the story of a mother and son. I believe it was a mistake to release the film at 1 AM, everyone who thought it was a mass film was disappointed and negative reviews rolled in,” he claimed.

‘Can’t compare to Salaar’

When a reporter mentioned that Prabhas-starrer Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire did well in its early morning shows, he stated that the film worked because it was a mass entertainer. “Salaar is mass cinema and fans experience a certain kind of high when they watch it at such early hours. I’m not comparing, but a family drama won’t have a similar impact,” he opined. Salaar, directed by Prashanth Neel, tells the story of two childhood friends.

‘Reviews hold no value’

Naga also stated repeatedly that he believes certain sections of the media and some social media accounts seemed to have an ‘agenda’ when it came to the film. “I’m here to tell you that your intellectual opinions haven’t hurt us or affected the collections,” he fired at reporters, adding, “reviews are just one person’s opinion, they don’t reflect the audience’s tastes. If you can criticise my films, I can call out your reviews too. None of you are Gods and your reviews hold no value because the film is doing well.”

‘Guntur Kaaram is not a one-man show’

When the film was released, many criticised Trivikram for its story and direction but Mahesh unanimously received praise for his performance. When asked about this, Naga quickly snapped, “Mahesh is a really good actor. He looked good, and danced well, but what about the rest? Who made him do it all?” He added sarcastically, “Trivikram must be credited for that, right? The film is a two-man show, he deserves the credit too. The hero might be seen on-screen, but the director can’t, right?”

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