Tollywood producer Dil Raju, who is making his debut in Tamil cinema with Varisu (Varasudu in Telugu), has stoked a controversy by triggering a fan war among the fans of Ajith Kumar and Vijay. Speaking to a Telugu news channel, the producer has stated that Vijay is a bigger star than Ajith in Kollywood and his film, Varisu, deserves more screens than Thunivu in Tamil Nadu.

Since then, Dil Raju has been facing backlash from Ajith fans, and has even been trending on Twitter. 

When Cinema Express asked him to comment on the controversy, Dil Raju said, "There's a backstory to that quote, and it is unfortunate that both netizens and the film buffs are making it a big issue just by listening to a 20-second clip. I urge everyone to watch the full interview and understand my intention and context."

Thunivu and Varisu are releasing for Pongal, 2023.

Raju also responded to James Cameron's visual spectacle Avatar: The Way of Water being leaked online, just a few hours after its release, and said, "Avatar: The Way of Water has been released on Friday to humongous applause. The film was made on a massive scale and the makers have pumped in thousands of crores. It's saddening that the film's pirated print has been leaked online. Such films have been made for theatrical viewing and I request the audience to support good cinema by watching it in theatres."