South Indian film industry stalwarts, cinematographer Chota K Naidu and director Harish Shankar, find themselves embroiled in a public spat over their collaboration on the 2013 movie “Ramayya Vasthavayya,” featuring Jr NTR and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The controversy erupted when Chota K Naidu accused Harish of undue interference during the film's production. This accusation prompted director Harish Shankar to retaliate with a lengthy post on a social media platform.

In an old interview with iDream Media, Chota K Naidu alleged that Harish Shankar frequently meddled with his work on set. Expressing his frustration, Naidu stated, “When I worked with Harish Shankar for 'Ramayya Vastavaiya,' he would often hesitate and interfere with my work. He would envision how he wanted things to look and continuously intervene. Despite my attempts to reason with him, he remained unyielding. I eventually gave up and simply carried out my duties.”

Official Statement From Powerful Director Harish Shankar @harish2you pic.twitter.com/4x5VpoGj5O

— Vamsi Kaka (@vamsikaka) April 20, 2024

In response to Naidu's claims, Harish Shankar took to social media to express his disappointment and recall a previous incident where he contemplated replacing Naidu as the cinematographer. However, due to pressure from producer Dil Raju, he decided against it. Shankar wrote, “There was a moment where your removal and substitution with another cinematographer was considered. But given the success of 'Gabbar Singh' (2012), replacing you would have been perceived as arrogance on my part. With Dil Raju's guidance, I chose to retain you.”

Harish also criticized Naidu for repeatedly making negative remarks about him in public, whereas he refrained from doing so himself. He lamented, “I have not uttered a single negative word about you anywhere. Yet, you persistently speak ill of me, even without any prompting. It's disheartening.” Harish Shankar, currently gearing up for the release of his Pawan Kalyan-starrer “Ustad Bhagat Singh,” concluded by stating that he felt compelled to address the issue due to inquiries from his friends and fans.