90% hate is manufactured: Vijay Deverakonda on Jailer 2 vs Ranabaali clash

Actor Vijay Deverakonda has called the online debate over whether audiences should watch Ranabaali or Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 “manufactured”, alleging that people are being paid to push such narratives. At the trailer launch of Ranabaali in Hyderabad on Thursday, the actor also addressed the trolling he faces on social media, making it clear that he has no intention of changing himself to appease his critics.Addressing the online chatter around the Jailer 2 vs Ranabaali clash, Vijay said he believed much of the negativity was orchestrated rather than genuine audience opinion. “First of all, we can’t even call it hate. Because 90% of it is manufactured. There’s a batch that drops Reels at a time that they’d rather watch Jailer 2 over Ranabaali, despite it being a Telugu film,” he said.The 37-year-old actor added that repeated opinions appearing across social media could be a sign of a coordinated campaign. “People can have opinions, but if you see the same opinion everywhere, it’s manufactured,” he said, alleging that some people were being paid to target him online. Vijay also warned that artificial intelligence could eventually replace those carrying out such attacks, adding that the people funding them would eventually stop.The Dear Comrade actor was equally firm when asked how he deals with the hate directed at him online. Questioning why he should alter his personality or ambitions to satisfy his detractors, the actor said he would not allow online criticism to dictate his choices. “Should I stop because someone thinks my dreams and hard work are unnecessary? Should I start acting because someone thinks my honesty comes off as arrogance? Should I step back because someone thinks my self-confidence comes across as pride? If they cannot digest my journey, must I sit at home?” he asked.He went on to say, “I won’t change; they’re the ones who need to. I wish people concentrated on bettering themselves for their families. I enjoy success stories a lot.” The actor also questioned the purpose of using social media to pull others down instead of encouraging positive change. “Use social media to promote and better things. What is the point of using it to bring down someone?” he asked.Jailer 2 and Ranabaali are set to release a day apart, on October 15 and 16, respectively. While Nelson Dilipkumar’s film is originally in Tamil, Rahul Sankrityan’s directorial is a Telugu production. Both films will release in all South Indian languages as well as Hindi, with expectations riding high on each. It remains to be seen how the two films fare at the box office. Jailer 2 is the sequel to Nelson’s 2023 blockbuster Jailer, while Rahul and Vijay previously collaborated on the 2018 film Taxiwaala.- Ends