Why K. Raghavendra Rao's Viral Video With Keerthy Suresh and Kriti Shetty Is Facing Backlash - Watch

A viral video featuring veteran Telugu filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao, Keerthy Suresh and Kriti Shetty has sparked debate online, with some criticizing the director's actions at a film launch while others have come forward in his defense.

K. Raghavendra Rao, a big-shot director in the Telugu film industry, is making headlines again, and it's not for a good reason. A video from the launch event of director Anil Ravipudi's upcoming film has gone viral, sparking a huge debate online. In the video, the 84-year-old Rao is seen directing the first shot. But the way he guided actresses Keerthy Suresh and Kriti Shetty for the scene has made many people question his actions.

Film's 'Muhurat' held in Hyderabad

The new film, which stars Venkatesh Daggubati, Nandamuri Kalyanram, Keerthy Suresh, and Kriti Shetty, was launched with an event in Hyderabad on Thursday. As per tradition, the famous filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao was invited to direct the 'muhurat' or first shot. Producer Allu Aravind gave the first clap for the film. Other major industry figures like Dil Raju and Suresh Babu were also present at the event.

What exactly is in the video?

In the video that's now all over social media, Raghavendra Rao is seen deciding the actors' positions. You can see him first holding Keerthy Suresh's hand and trying to pull her towards him. After that, he turns his attention to Kriti Shetty and starts guiding her for the scene. The video also shows him explaining to Venkatesh and Kalyanram how they should place their hands on the actresses' shoulders during the shot.

Keerthy X Krithi 🥵🤤

Senior K Thilagam X Junior K Thilagam 

Mf Ravendra grandpa forcing pic.twitter.com/lBEtdVKu8g

— 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐓 🐐 (@Actress_G0AT) June 18, 2026

Social media is divided

After the video went viral, people had very different things to say. Some users slammed Raghavendra Rao for his behaviour, saying he had no need to touch the actresses that way. However, many people also defended him. They argued that he was simply playing the role of a director and was explaining the correct positions to the actors for the shot.

Users remind him of his 'limits'

The criticism was quite loud on the social media platform X. Many users expressed their anger, accusing the filmmaker of touching the actors without any need. One user asked why he always tries to touch the actors. Another said that touching someone without their permission is not right. A third user commented that the scene could have been explained without any physical contact.

Veteran Telugu filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao inappropriately touching Actress Niharika ! Is this appropriate? pic.twitter.com/TgoI6dV8qm

— Intelligent India News (@iinewsindia) June 18, 2026

Niharika Konidela controversy also brought up

This viral video has also made people talk about an old controversy involving Niharika Konidela. Some users brought up the old video, saying that Raghavendra Rao had faced criticism even back then. One user wrote that they had hoped he would change his behaviour after the previous backlash, but the same questions are being raised again. Despite all this, many people still believe that Rao was just doing his job of setting the scene and directing the actors.