Heroine Divyabharathi Slams GOAT Director Naresh Kuppili Over Chilaka Comment

Tamil actress Divya Bharathi has alleged serious mistreatment on the sets of her Telugu debut film, turning a behind-the-scenes dispute into a full-blown controversy. The actress claims she faced humiliation from the film’s director during shooting—and says what hurt her most was hero Sudigali Sudheer’s silence throughout the ordeal.

The film in question is GOAT, launched two years ago with Sudheer in the lead and Naresh Kuppili as director. Kuppili later exited the project, after which the producer took over. As promotional activities resumed recently with the release of a new song, the controversy burst open.

Director Naresh resurfaced on social media and posted a tweet targeting Divya Bharathi, using belittling language. His remarks, perceived as derogatory, quickly went viral. Divya shared a screenshot of the tweet and issued a sharp response.

In his tweet, Naresh mocked her performance and used terms she described as “deeply insulting to women.” Responding publicly, Divya accused the director of repeatedly demeaning her both on set and online:

“Calling women by insulting names is not a joke. It shows how much disrespect you have. This wasn’t the first time—he behaved the same way during shoot. He constantly put women down. What pained me even more was the hero remaining silent, which only encouraged him,” she wrote.

In another post, Divya contrasted her experiences in Tamil and Telugu cinema:

“People who say I’m the problem should know this: I’ve worked with the same teams back in Tamil Nadu without any issues. Only this one director crossed the line and insulted me publicly. That’s why I had to speak up.”

Naresh had earlier directed the film Paagal starring Vishwak Sen but left midway due to internal issues. A similar pattern appears to have emerged with GOAT.

While Divya’s statements have drawn widespread attention, her remarks also brought Sudigali Sudheer into the controversy for allegedly failing to intervene during the troubling incidents. The industry now waits to see whether the actor or the production team will offer a clarification.