Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma stirred controversy on Monday evening with a sharp critique of the box office figures for ‘Game Changer’, the Telugu political action film starring Ram Charan.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Varma accused the film’s team of inflating its earnings, calling it a “fraud” that undermines the credibility of South Indian cinema’s achievements.

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Varma sarcastically remarked, “If [directors] @ssrajamouli and @SukumarWritings propelled Telugu cinema to incredible heights with real collections, the team behind ‘Game Changer’ has proved the South is more fantastic at being a fraud.”

If @ssrajamouli and @SukumarWritings sky rocketed telugu cinema in real time collections into a fantastically stratospheric heights thereby sending legitimate shock waves into Bollywood, the people behind G C succeeded in proving that the south is much more FANTASTIC in being a…

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 13, 2025

The filmmaker expressed dismay, suggesting the exaggerated claims tarnish the legacy of blockbusters like ‘Baahubali’, ‘RRR’, ‘KGF 2’, and ‘Kantara’.

He stated, “These fabricated figures humiliate the extraordinary achievements of South Indian cinema, casting doubt on their authenticity.”

While Varma absolved the film’s producer, Dil Raju, of any wrongdoing, he questioned who was responsible for the “naive lies.” He added, “Dil Raju is a grounded realist, incapable of committing such fraud.”

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Ram Gopal Varma tweeted after the official social media account of ‘Game Changer’ claimed the film earned ₹186 crore on its opening day, making it the fourth-best opening for an Indian film after ‘Pushpa 2’, ‘Baahubali 2’, and ‘RRR’.

However, trade analysts reported significantly lower figures, with some estimating the worldwide collection to be under ₹100 crore, and Sacnilk reporting just ₹80 crore.

Directed by S. Shankar in his Telugu debut and produced by Sri Venkateswara Creations, ‘Game Changer’ features Ram Charan in dual roles alongside Kiara Advani, Anjali, and an ensemble cast.

Announced in February 2021, the film’s title was revealed in March 2023. Production, which began in October 2021, faced several delays and concluded in July 2024.

The movie had filming in diverse locations across India and internationally, including Japan, China, Malaysia, Cambodia, and New Zealand.