Producers Dil Raju and Shirish found themselves at the center of controversy after comments made by Shirish in a recent interview upset Mega fans. The backlash stemmed from his remark that Ram Charan and director Shankar didn't contact them after the failure of their film Game Changer.
In an interview with Great Andhra, Shirish revealed that he feared their "lives were over" after Game Changer flopped and credited Venkatesh's Sankranthiki Vasthunam for salvaging the situation. He added that neither Shankar nor Ram Charan reached out post-release, which sparked anger among fans, who felt it was unfair to expect such gestures from the actor.
Shirish later issued a public apology in Telugu, calling the situation a misunderstanding. He emphasized his long-standing respect and relationship with Ram Charan and Chiranjeevi's family, and stated:
“Ram Charan gave us his full time and support. If my words hurt anyone, I sincerely apologize.”
Dil Raju backed his brother in an interview with 10 TV, stating that Shirish's comment was taken out of context. Raju explained that:
Shirish was emotional while discussing Sankranthiki Vasthunam, as it helped them recover from the financial strain.
He clarified that Ram Charan had waited patiently for Game Changer, despite delays caused by director Shankar and his other commitments (Indian 2).
Raju added, “Shirish is close to Charan but is inexperienced with media. There was no ill intention behind his words.”
Game Changer was released during Sankranthi alongside:
Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaaj (₹125.8 crore worldwide)
Venkatesh’s Sankranthiki Vasthunam (₹255.2 crore)
Game Changer made ₹186.25 crore worldwide, but underperformed given its massive budget.
