CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon On Arshad Warsi's 'Joker' Comment On Prabhas: 'Sure It Wasn't Meant To Hurt'

Arshad Warsi’s comments about Prabhas in Kalki 2898AD have sparked backlash, with Telugu actor and Movie Artiste Association (MAA) president Vishnu Manchu expressing concerns. And now, CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association) president Poonam Dhillon has confirmed receiving a letter from Manchu regarding the issue. Poonam said that she plans to reach out to Arshad Warsi for a response.

In a conversation with HT, Poonam Dhillon said, “It is definitely something that has created a bit of unpleasantness, especially in the Telugu industry. We are also writing to Arshad Warsi and taking his feedback on that.” Poonam stressed the need for unity in the film industry, saying Arshad Warsi’s comments were likely about the character, not Prabhas himself. She hopes Warsi will clear things up and address any hurt feelings in the Telugu industry, adding that Prabhas is well-respected and probably wasn’t the target of any offense. She added, “While I do believe that he may not have said it against Prabhas; it may be against the character in the film, I would still like him to clarify and if need be, undo the hurt which he may have caused artistes of the Telugu industry because we are all one industry. Prabhas is one of the most decent, nice, respected people of the industry and I am sure it was not meant to hurt him as a person.”

Poonam said that she wants to sort the matter out and that all film industries are part of one big entertainment world and this shouldn’t cause any division. “We will let Arshad clarify his stand because I cannot speak for him. I would like to believe that as an actor, he will not make such comments about someone who is so well-respected and loved,” she said.

What the issue is all about

Arshad Warsi, during a chat on Unfiltered by Samdish, said Prabhas looked like a ‘joker’ in Kalki 2898 AD. The actor was asked to name a recent film he watched and didn’t like. He named Kalki 2898 AD and said that while he loved Amitabh Bachchan’s performance as Ashwatthama in the Nag Ashwin directorial, he was not impressed by Prabhas’ look.