Telugu actor Ravi Teja is at the center of a social media storm following the release of the first promotional song from his upcoming film, ‘Mr. Bachchan.’ The film, directed by Harish Shankar, features a Telugu adaptation of the Bollywood hit ‘Raid’ and stars 56-year-old Ravi Teja opposite 25-year-old actress Bhagyashri Borse.

The controversy ignited with the release of the song “Sitar,” composed by Mickey J Meyer. While the song’s stunning visuals and catchy dance moves were praised by some, several scenes have sparked backlash for their perceived vulgarity and the significant age gap between the lead actors. One particular scene, where Ravi Teja playfully puts his hands in Borse’s pockets from behind her lehenga, drew sharp criticism online.

A viral video of the song posted by the ‘X’ page, Films and Stuffs, drew heavy criticism: “56-year-old Ravi Teja’s sickening dance steps with the 25-year-old Bhagyashree Borse. And the filmmakers don’t even care to show the actress’ face here, because all they want is to objectify her.”

Similar sentiments resonated across social media, with users condemning the filmmakers for resorting to what they perceived as cheap tricks. “When they don’t have content, they go to these kinds of cheap tricks. People must reject these kinds of things,” read one comment. Another critic added, “The actress and director should be equally criticized. They are only focusing on objectifying women. This promo and the previous one, there’s no insight into the story or music, rather only the heroine’s body is the main plot there.”

However, there were also voices defending the film and its creative choices. Supporters argued that if the audience enjoys it, the filmmakers are justified in their approach. “If the pair look good in films, the audience has no problem with the age gap. Everyone trolled the age gap between Sreeleela and Ravi Teja in ‘Dhamaka’ before its release, but everything changed after the movie was out. The pair had very good chemistry on screen, and that’s what matters,” a supporter noted.

Another supporter echoed this sentiment: “But the audience will still go to theatres and watch this, right? If the audience doesn’t demand a radical change in policy, then it’s never happening.” Despite the controversy, ‘Mr. Bachchan’ is set to be a major attraction in Tollywood this year, with its release scheduled for August 15, 2024.