The makers of 8 Vasantalu, a film that released last week to poor reviews and a weak box office performance, held a press meet branding it as a “success meet.” However, the event took a tense and uncomfortable turn when a journalist confronted the team about a controversial scene set in Kashi (Varanasi), one of Hinduism’s most sacred cities.

In the scene, the lead character, played by Ananthika Sanilkumar, approaches a Brahmin priest for help in finding an address. Instead of offering guidance, the priest misleads her to a slaughterhouse and attempts to assault her. The disturbing depiction has triggered strong backlash online, with many viewers condemning it as insensitive and disrespectful.

During the press interaction, a journalist directly questioned the intention behind such a portrayal, asking, “What kind of scenes are these in a holy place like Kashi?” The question strongly implied that the film was deliberately attempting to defame the Brahmin community under the guise of empowering the heroine’s character.

#8Vasantalu :

కాశీ లాంటి పుణ్య క్షేత్రం లో ఆ సీన్స్ ఏంటి ?

సినిమా యూనిట్ పై ఫైర్ అయిన మీడియా... pic.twitter.com/5HJ5eD6bvH

— IndiaGlitz Telugu™ (@igtelugu) June 23, 2025

The confrontation caught the team off-guard, and with director Phanindra Narsetti absent from the event, the rest of the crew failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. The scene has since continued to face severe criticism from the public, further damaging the film’s reputation and raising concerns about cultural and religious insensitivity in cinema.