Nagarjuna has addressed the controversy surrounding his recent remarks about Kuberaa, in which he had described himself as the “real hero” of the film. Speaking at the film’s success event held on Sunday evening, Nagarjuna clarified that his earlier comments were misunderstood and taken out of context.

“Yesterday, I said I did this film thinking it was mine, but that was misunderstood, which led to unnecessary controversy on news websites and social media,” Nagarjuna said, referring to comments made during a media interaction shortly after the film’s release. 

He further said, “Now I want to make it clear that this film belongs to everyone who worked on it. I'm saying again, this is Sekhar Kammula's Kuberaa. It's Deva’s cinema, not Dhanush, but the character Deva. This film is Deepak’s, Sameera’s, and Khushboo’s. Above all, it belongs to Sekhar Kammula.”

The statement comes after social media backlash from a section of netizens who believed his initial comment overshadowed Dhanush’s central role in the film. During a prior press meet, Nagarjuna had said, “I feel like the hero in this film because my character drives the story,” which some interpreted as a claim to sole prominence in the social thriller.

Directed by National Award-winning Sekhar Kammula, Kuberaa stars Dhanush as Deva, a homeless man who gets caught in a scam, and Nagarjuna as Deepak, a former CBI officer. Rashmika Mandanna, Jim Sarbh, and Sayaji Shinde appear in supporting roles.

The film released on June 20 and has been met with both critical and commercial success. Produced by Sree Venkateswara Cinemas LLP and Amigos Creations, Kuberaa continues its run in theatres, with digital rights acquired by Prime Video.