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Days after reports surfaced that HanuMan director Prasanth Varma had been accused by a group of Tollywood producers of taking advances and failing to deliver films, the filmmaker has issued a formal response refuting the claims. The complaint, reportedly filed by HanuMan producer K Niranjan Reddy’s production house, M/S Primeshow Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., was submitted to the Telugu Film Chamber, prompting widespread discussion across social media and industry circles. Addressing the matter on X (formerly Twitter), Prasanth Varma said he had noticed “certain media portals and social media pages” publishing selective details from the ongoing dispute. Calling the reports misleading, he stated, “The dispute between me and M/S Primeshow Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is presently pending and under consideration before the Telugu Film Chamber/Telugu Film Directors’ Association and is therefore sub-judice.” The director added that both parties were expected to refrain from discussing the case in the media until a resolution was reached. “Any attempt to publish internal pleadings, emails, agreements or financial details at this stage amounts to interference with the proceedings and is clearly intended to prejudice public opinion,” he wrote. Urging restraint, he continued, “I categorically state that the allegations made against me are all false baseless and retaliatory.” The controversy stems from a letter filed by producer K Niranjan Reddy to the Telugu Film Producers Council on October 11. In his complaint, Reddy accused the filmmaker of accepting advances exceeding ₹20 crore without fulfilling his commitments. According to the complaint, during the production of HanuMan in 2021, Prasanth had agreed to collaborate on several more films under the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe (PVCU) — including Adhira, Mahakali, Jai Hanuman, and Brahma Rakshas. The production house alleged that it had spent ₹15 lakh on the teaser of Adhira and that Reddy had subsequently paid Prasanth ₹50 lakh via bank transfer and ₹1 crore in cash, followed by another ₹50 lakh. In 2024, additional payments amounting to ₹8 crore were reportedly made. The complaint further claimed that after receiving the payments, Prasanth unexpectedly informed the team that Adhira would now be directed by Vijay Binni and asked that ₹15 lakh be paid to him. The film, according to the producer, has not begun production. Reddy also alleged that Prasanth later said Mahakali would be directed by Pooja Aparna Kolluru, requesting an additional ₹2 lakh payment to her. The producer further accused the director of “illegally” associating with Mythri Movie Makers for Jai Hanuman, despite the project being a sequel to HanuMan, which Reddy had produced. He also claimed that Hombale Films might be backing Brahma Rakshas, another film for which his company had already paid over ₹10 crore. The complaint additionally mentioned that Primeshow Entertainment had paid Prasanth another ₹10 crore for a project titled Octopus in 2022, part of which was reportedly shot. Reddy has now sought ₹200 crore in compensation — ₹100 crore for Jai Hanuman and ₹25 crore each for Adhira, Mahakali, Octopus, and Brahma Rakshas. In his response to the Film Chamber dated October 27, Prasanth dismissed the accusations, stating that while HanuMan grossed ₹295 crore globally, he had received only ₹7 crore after its release and no share of the profits, contrary to their agreement. He also said he had repeatedly requested the producer to clear his pending payments, adding that he was paid ₹1 crore for the Adhira teaser and “nothing more.”
