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At the teaser launch event of “Mazaka” on Sunday, Nakkina’s comments about Ambani’s body type and “size” drew sharp criticism on social media and within the industry, leading the director to apologise to the actor publicly. He also said the remarks were made in “jest”.
Ambani, in a video statement shared on social media, downplayed the incident and called Nakkina “the loveliest man on the planet”.
“I believe his words may have been taken out of context… He has treated me as a member of his family. I’ve worked on this movie for 60 days, and I have been given nothing but respect, love, and lots of good wishes. Please, everybody, if we can put this to bed because I’m so excited about the movie.
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On Monday, Nakkina released a video statement and apologised for the comments he made, calling them “unfortunate”.
“I made those comments in jest, hoping to make everyone laugh. However, if these remarks have hurt you, this is my mistake. I would like to issue a heartfelt apology, as they were objectionable. I will also personally apologise to Anshu. I didn’t realise this would become such a significant issue,” he said.
Ambani, known for Telugu films “Manmadhudu” and “Raghavendra”, and Tamil title “Jai”, is returning to Telugu cinema after over 20 years with “Mazaka”, which will release in theatres on February 21.