Left without a face-saving exit after he launched a tirade against the film even before its release just for its posters showing a liplock and got snubbed by Ram Gopal Varma among others (who even seemed to allege that Rao had been paid to promote the film through his antics), senior Congress leader and ex-MP V Hanumantha Rao continued to wage an inconsequential battle against the recent Telugu movie
Arjun Reddy.
Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday, Rao alleged that the youth were being spoiled by watching the film. He pointed out that the characters have drugs indiscriminately in the film, at a time that the Excise and Enforcement officials were inquiring into the use of drugs by film personalities. A character in the film also indulged in ragging, and got a girl pregnant before marriage. He also lamented that doctors would offer treatment while having liquor after seeing this film in which a doctor treats his patients while drinking. A doctor in the film admits that he served 300 patients while consuming alcohol, Rao said.
He asked the film's producers what message they wanted to give to the society through a film like this.
Rao also asked IT minister K T Rama Rao how he could praise the film (KTR is reported to be a movie buff who watches most Telugu releases, and regularly tweets about films he likes - "Raw. Intense. Honest. Original. Bold. Gutsy. Risqué. Kudos to Sandeep Reddy & Pranay. Vijay Devarakonda you're a Rockstar (sic)," he said of Arjun Reddy). He asked the minister how he could praise a film that glorified drug use, and why his own government was then initiating action against people having drugs in reality. He also alleged that KTR praised Arjun Reddy's lead actor Vijay Devarakonda only because the latter was the minister's relative.
Hanumantha Rao asked Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to watch the film and initiate action against the film's crew. He demanded that the state government stop screening the film immediately. He said that he had lodged a complaint with the Censor Board and also the City Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy demanding a ban on the film.