Prakash Raj Hits Back at Boycott Calls, Says Audiences Still Back Him

Actor Prakash Raj says boycott campaigns have not hurt his box-office runs and claims SS Rajamouli is being questioned over casting him in Varanasi.

Boycott calls fail to dent box office

Actor Prakash Raj has responded to repeated online campaigns urging audiences to boycott his films, arguing that such efforts have not stopped his work from performing well in theatres. Speaking on NTV’s talk show Point Blank, he pointed to earlier examples, including KGF and Drishyam 3, which drew strong crowds despite similar calls against him.

Raj said that the campaigns were largely unable to stop films in which he appears. According to him, the only projects that could be affected are those he produces, since he works primarily as an actor.

Varanasi and questions for SS Rajamouli

Raj also said he is currently working on Varanasi, and claimed that filmmaker SS Rajamouli is being questioned on social media for choosing him for the film. He asked who would be able to block the project, suggesting that the criticism has not affected the production.

Eight bans in Tollywood

The host raised the subject of Raj being banned eight times by the Telugu film industry over allegations of unprofessional conduct. Raj, who was first barred in 2008, responded calmly, saying he is comfortable with people holding differing views about him. “Judge me by my work,” he said, adding that his schedule of working in multiple languages and travelling often leads to such disputes.

Prakash Raj Hits Back at Boycott Calls, Says Audiences Still Back Him — SS Rajamouli — Photo: Dani Charles Silverscreen Media Inc. (https://silv / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Industry complaints against him have typically involved missed shooting schedules and late arrivals on set, along with reports that he refused to compromise on set during productions of films such as Jalsa, Kantri and Parugu.

Background

Raj’s relationship with the Telugu film industry has been contentious for years. In the 2021 Movie Artists Association (MAA) elections, he contested the presidency against Vishnu Manchu. Opponents portrayed him as an outsider because he was born in Karnataka, and after losing, despite backing from figures such as Chiranjeevi, Raj alleged foul play.

What next

On the talk show, Raj noted that MAA elections have not been held since 2021, even though the body is supposed to hold them every two years. In 2024, its general body agreed that the current panel, led by Vishnu Manchu, would remain in office until a new MAA office building is completed, and there has been no update on that building as of 2026. On the professional front, Raj was last seen in Drishyam 3 and is next set to appear in the Kannada film Father, scheduled for release on December 4.