Audiences witnessed a trademark Bandla Ganesh moment on Thursday night at the success celebrations of Little Hearts. Known for never mincing words, the actor-producer once again lived up to his reputation, serving blunt advice to the film’s youtuber-turned-actor Mouli, taking swipes at the industry, and even leaving chief guests Vijay Deverakonda and Allu Aravind in uncomfortable silence.
Ganesh began by addressing Mouli, who has been riding a wave of adulation after Little Hearts’ blockbuster run. “Now the industry will come to you and shower praises. They will say hyperbolic statements like you look smarter than Vijay Deverakonda or Mahesh Babu, it’s all fake. Don’t believe it,” he warned and added, “Whether it is Vijay giving you outfits, Mahesh Babu tweeting or someone like me praising you, all this is only for the moment. In this industry, every Friday brings a new hero.”
Drawing on history, he cited how rumours once floated that Srikanth would surpass Chiranjeevi after Pellisandadi outperformed a string of Chiranjeevi’s films, only for the hype to fade. He also pointed to the late Chandramohan as an example of staying rooted, “He worked until his last breath without ever forgetting his foundation. Become an actor like him, don’t aim to be a star.”
But Ganesh’s candour did not stop with Mouli. In a remark that left producer Bunny Vasu visibly squirming, Ganesh quipped that Allu Aravind “takes the credit without doing much” a comment that, though not verbatim, carried a clear sting. Vasu was seen holding his head and trying to explain it away to Aravind, who sat smiling quietly through the episode.
The fireworks continued when he turned to Vijay Deverakonda, seated just a few feet away. Brushing aside Vijay’s gesture of gifting Mouli Rowdy merchandise, Ganesh declared such support as “meaningless formalities.” His point to Mouli, delivered without hesitation, star endorsements come and go, but only craft and consistency sustain a career.
Despite the awkwardness, Ganesh’s larger message was consistent, urging Mouli to keep his head down, choose good films, and make his family proud. Mouli, responding gracefully, said, “My lifestyle may change after this success, but my inner self will remain the same.”
Ganesh also praised Little Hearts for proving the power of content, saying, “Made on just two and a half crore, this film has brought the audience to the theatres with clean storytelling. All the so-called big directors should hang their heads in shame.”
Directed by Sai Marthand and starring Mouli and Shivani Nagaram, Little Hearts has turned into a blockbuster, still holding strong at the box office. Thanks to Bandla Ganesh, its latest success meet was as dramatic off-screen as on it.