Kichcha Sudeep Backs Director Prem Amid KD Movie Song Row

The pan-India release of 'KD: The Devil' has found itself at the center of a major controversy, but lead star Kichcha Sudeep isn't backing down from supporting his director. The Kannada superstar has thrown his full weight behind filmmaker Prem as the movie faces intense scrutiny over allegedly objectionable lyrics in one of its songs.

The storm erupted around the track "Sarsa Ninna Seraga Sarsa," which drew sharp criticism for its content, particularly in the Hindi version. The controversy escalated to the National Women's Commission, which issued notices to actors Sanjay Dutt and Nora Fatehi who featured in the song. Dutt appeared before the commission, explaining that he only heard the Kannada version during shooting and didn't understand the lyrics at the time. Despite calling it an unintentional mistake, he offered an apology and committed to supporting education for 50 tribal children.

But it's Sudeep's response that's generating headlines today. Speaking at a recent interaction, the Sandalwood icon didn't mince words while defending Prem. "The KD song controversy is unfortunate. I'm not saying no mistake happened, but I don't believe it was intentional," Sudeep stated firmly. "When criticizing someone, we need to consider their past work too. Director Prem has given us many beautiful songs."

This defense comes at a crucial time for the film, which stars Dhruv Sarja alongside Rishma Nanaiah, with Sudeep and Shilpa Shetty in key guest roles. Industry insiders suggest the controversy, ironically, has amplified the movie's buzz and boosted advance bookings across Karnataka. The presence of Sanjay Dutt was expected to give the film strong Bollywood openings, while Sudeep's involvement has positioned it as a legitimate multi-starrer in Kannada cinema.

Sudeep's public backing of Prem reflects the complex dynamics at play when pan-India projects face cultural and linguistic scrutiny. His stance suggests the Kannada film industry is rallying around one of its own, even as the controversy threatens to overshadow what was positioned as a major commercial venture.