S Naga Vamsi is controversial because he often shares provocative, unfiltered views. In a chit-chat involving actor Ravi Teja, he opined that Lokah Chapter 1 would have been rejected by the Telugu audience had it been a straight Telugu movie. "They would have complained about its pacing. They would have said that it lacks span," Naga Vamsi commented. Ravi Teja was in agreement.
Lokah is the biggest Malayalam blockbuster ever, with the Telugu-dubbed version contributing only a fraction of the total (Rs 300 Cr). A counter-view is that Telugu filmmakers don't cast Telugu-speaking actresses and therefore, their complaints are insincere. "A film like Lokah in Telugu would have starred a non-Telugu girl, removing all context and nativity," a movie buff stated. "Telugu producers are not capable of making movies under a controlled budget and no Telugu star hero is secure to act in a movie led by a female lead," wrote Santosh Eppalapally.
Another social media user wrote that we shouldn’t be comparing the two industries. "If anything, we should be comparing the salaries of the crew, not how audiences would react. In Malayalam cinema, writers drive the story. Here, it’s all about how many 'hero elevations' can fit in one movie," he opined.
Lokah Chapter 1 was released in theatres on August 28.
