Looking at the kind of trolling happening on social media, it seems unavoidable. After Raja Saab released in theatres, Maruthi did not face much heat initially.
This was mainly because back-to-back Sankranti releases kept the focus elsewhere. Only after a few days did the criticism slowly turn towards him.
However, the real impact came after the film’s OTT release.
The moment the movie started streaming, screenshots and video clips flooded social media. While some users criticised Prabhas’ looks, a majority targeted director Maruthi directly.
Many viewers felt Prabhas’ performance in several scenes was below expectations. Some even pointed out the use of body doubles, while others highlighted weak graphics and visual flaws.
But most of the anger was aimed at Maruthi’s writing. Netizens commented that the screenplay was weak, especially the first half, which they felt was dragged unnecessarily.
Many said that Maruthi, known for making fun, youthful, medium-budget entertainers, failed to use the big opportunity he got with a star like Prabhas.
The film has already faced heavy trolling once. Now, with the OTT release, the trolling has started all over again. Some posts on social media have even crossed limits, with objectionable content being shared.
Given all this, it looks like Maruthi may have no option but to stay away from the spotlight for a while.