Ram Charan idol invites trolls and ‘hurts sentiments’ ahead of Peddi release; producer defends: ‘Focus on emotion’

ACtor pound Charan’s fans wanted to do something special to demonstrate their enjoy for him forward of the free of Peddi. However, their token of admiration only invited trolling when it was unveiled. Ram’s fans put up an idol of him at Arjun Theatre, Kukatpally, only for the internet to point out that it looks nothing like him. A team member defended it even as the fans issued a public apology.Ram Charan idol put up by fans invites trollingKukatpally fans of Ram put up an idol of his at Arjun Theatre and invited the President of RC Yuvashakthi, producer of films such as Ninnu Veedani Needanu Nene, A1 Express, and Michael, and a member of the actor’s team, Pasupulati Siva aka Siva Cherry, to the unveiling. The idol is fashioned on the actor’s look from his upcoming film Peddi. However, it invited trolling for its appearance, with many pointing out how it looked nothing like the actor. Some thought that the idol looked more like Malayalam actor Joju George than Ram or Telugu actor Naveen Chandra. Others thought the idol looked more like Siva himself than Ram. “Super Anna, entaki adhi evari vigraham? (Super brother, by the way, whose idol is that?)” questioned one X (formerly Twitter) user with sarcasm. “Vallu cheyinchina vigraham Suryavardhan @AlwaysRamCharan di... Kani akkada unna vigraham Garudadi @eyrahul (They tried to make Ram Charan’s idol and ended up making Rahul Ramakrishna’s).” Siva Cherry defends the idol even as fans issue apologyAfter the trolling gained intensity, Siva put out a statement that read: “It is easy to criticize from a distance, but every fan initiative is driven by genuine love and effort. This event was organized by the local Kukatpally Ram Charan fans. I have come across a few tweets criticizing the celebration, but I believe the focus should be on the emotion and dedication behind it.” He added, “As the President of RC Yuvashakthi, I attended the event to support the fans and appreciate their passion for Ram Charan Garu. Every celebration is unique, but the emotion and dedication remain the same.” The fans that put up the idol also issued an apology, admitting that it did not go as planned. “We sincerely apologize to everyone. Our intention with the Ram Charan statue was to express our love, admiration, and devotion towards @AlwaysRamCharan in a unique way. Unfortunately, the execution did not meet expectations and turned out to be a misfire,” they wrote. The fans also apologised for hurting sentiments, writing, “We want to make it clear that we never intended to disrespect or hurt the sentiments of Sanatana Dharma or anyone associated with it. If our attempt has caused any discomfort, we deeply regret it.” Peddi is written and directed by Buchi Babu Sana of Uppena-fame. It is produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under Vriddhi Cinemas, co-produced by Ishan Saksena under IVY Entertainment, and presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings. The film has received permission to hike ticket prices and hold special shows in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Ram Charan, Shiva Rajkumar, Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu and Boman Irani star in it. The film, which is releasing on June 4, will have premieres on June 3.