Resul Pookutty, an Oscar-winning sound designer, sparked outrage on Monday by making some comments about SS Rajamouli’s latest blockbuster RRR. Resul responded to a Twitter user who called RRR “garbage,” saying the film is “a gay lover story.” He also mocked Alia Bhatt’s character in RRR in another tweet. “and @aliaa08 is a prop in that film,” he added on Twitter.
After being chastised for his remarks, Pookutty attempted to distance himself from them by claiming they did not reflect his true feelings about the film. “Yes, I simply quoted something that was already in the public domain… no offence intended…” he wrote on Twitter.
It is worth noting that the bromance between Jr NTR and Ram Charan in RRR was perceived as ‘gay romance’ by a segment of the international audience. The perspective on Ram and Bheem’s friendship was received positively at the time. However, Resul Pookutty’s remarks appeared to have rubbed many people the wrong way.
RRR follows two tribal leaders in their rebellion against the British Raj. Telugu freedom fighters Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem inspired the film.
RRR went on to earn more than Rs 1000 crore globally after its release. It was SS Rajamouli’s second consecutive film to accomplish this feat. It also received acclaim from both critics and audiences.