Keeping heroes trapped in false illusions is nothing new. The stars, the people around them and even the so-called well-wishers often live in denial.
In fact, that's how the Telugu film industry, or for that matter any entertainment industry largely operates.
But when it comes to new talent or self-made individuals with no background, one would expect at least them to stay in reality and not fall for these endless "bhajans" and praise sessions.
Last night, at the success celebrations of Rashmika's The Girlfriend, small-time producer SKN went overboard with his speech, placing Vijay Deverakonda on a pedestal. He called Vijay "the only prince of Tollywood kingdom" who could "shake or break the box office with his openings" and there is no limit to his praise.
There's nothing unusual or wrong about
The real concern is how Vijay Deverakonda is taking this false praise. He's currently at an all-time low in his career with a series of flops behind him. To find his last genuine hit, you'd have to go back to Geetha Govindam. Meanwhile, several new heroes have emerged and delivered much bigger successes surprising everyone.
Adding to this, some of his fans-or maybe just home grown social media handles in his name-have been pushing strange narratives. Recently, when Bandla Ganesh mocked Vijay these groups began spreading claims that Vijay is struggling because he has no caste or family support in Tollywood.
That's a ridiculous excuse. Look at his last few films. If the same projects were done by a star kid, would audiences have given them a different result? It's unlikely. Narratives like these only keep heroes trapped in denial instead of helping them improve.
Take Family Star for example. It was produced by a top producer Dil Raju. Before that, Liger was directed by Puri Jagannadh and even a top name like Karan Johar was onboard. Recent project, Kingdom was produced by Sitara Entertainment's Naga Vamsi, who himself said he spent over 100 crore on it. So where is the supposed bias or lack of opportunity here Vijay? He also worked with top banner Mythri Movie Makers.
The truth is Vijay's failures are rooted in poor script choices not in discrimination or missed chances. But the people around him and these social media false narratives may blind him from seeing that reality.
Vijay Deverakonda needs to accept that he's not a star right now. Until he delivers at least two strong back-to-back solid hits, he must work like a newcomer again-humbly, sincerely and with complete focus-to rebuild himself and prove his place all over again. He should also avoid falling for these false narratives, as they can be very harmful.