Did Prithviraj Sukumaran subtly criticize Tollywood stars?
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s recent comments about Mohanlal’s dedication to performing his own stunts have stirred discussions in Tollywood. While promoting L2: Empuraan, Prithviraj highlighted how Mohanlal avoided using body doubles or face replacements in action sequences. He even encouraged viewers to pause scenes on OTT platforms to see that Mohanlal performed the stunts himself.
Though Prithviraj’s remarks seemed genuine, some Telugu fans took them as a subtle criticism of Tollywood stars. Recently, Telugu movies have faced criticism for their frequent use of stunt doubles. Films like Adipurush, Salaar, and Kalki 2898 AD have notably used body doubles for major action scenes. Behind-the-scenes footage even showed a fight sequence in Kalki performed entirely by stunt performers.
Similarly, reports suggest that in Devara, NTR’s double handled the intense interval fight scene. Pushpa 2 has also faced similar claims, with rumors of Allu Arjun’s introductory fight scene being done by a double. Even Pawan Kalyan’s recent projects have been criticized for relying heavily on stunt performers.
While the use of body doubles is not uncommon in the film industry, Telugu stars have been under greater scrutiny due to the increasing number of making videos. Prithviraj’s statements have unintentionally fueled ongoing debates about the authenticity of action scenes in Tollywood.
Despite the controversies, fans continue to celebrate the grand visuals and performances in Telugu cinema. It remains to be seen if this discussion will encourage more actors to follow Mohanlal’s example of performing their own stunts.
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