Ram Gopal Varma has waded into the Deepika Padukone vs. Sandeep Reddy Vanga dispute and dismissed the drama as overblown. In conversation with Hindustan Times, he argued that every artist is free to negotiate their terms. “I can say I want to work for 23 hours, and the actor says one hour—that’s the deal,” he explained, adding there was no coercion involved.
According to RGV, what was made into a controversy was a mutual choice—one side asked for an eight‑hour day, the other didn’t agree—and that’s perfectly legitimate. He believes the media amplified it unnecessarily. Meanwhile, Deepika reportedly walked away over scheduling and salary demands amounting to ₹40 crore, while the makers were offering ₹20 crore.
RGV is promoting his new OTT thriller Saree on Lionsgate Play, and he lightheartedly compared today’s drama to his media experience: “Every story becomes bigger than it is.” His point: dialogue and boundaries are fine—spin is not.
