Bengaluru: Sandalwood stars Kiccha Sudeep and Shivrajkumar have a huge fan following in the state as well as across the country. Fans are known for going to crazy lengths to honour their icons and this time is no different. However, it seems they have gone too far.
Sudeep and Shivrajkumar-starrer “The Villain” was released to mixed responses on October 18. While some fans were upset with director Prem for various reasons, the rest were over the moon and celebrated the success of the film as it made a whopping Rs 20 crore on opening day.
However, in a shocking video that went viral recently, a group of unidentified youngsters were seen torturing and slaughtering a buffalo calf for the success of the film. Hoots and cheers of the men mixed with the cries of the poor young animal before it was beheaded. Another video of the same event showed the men carry the headless body of the animal and smear its blood on the film’s posters that were propped up on an easel. After this, the lifeless animal is tossed away and more blood is splashed on the posters. Youngsters were then seen wiping off the blood from the machetes on the animal’s body and posing for pictures.
After the videos went viral, those involved with the film condemned the act on social media and pleaded with fans to refrain from indulging in such activities.
“Brutality is inhuman. It’s my sincere request to stop all this. This is not the love or respect the team of The Villain would want to see. Stop this slaughtering act please,” Sudeep tweeted.
The director also condemned the act on Twitter saying, “Dear fans, you have made The Villain mega-hit today. Let’s celebrate this success by giving sweets or helping someone in need. Please stop humiliating and killing animals in the name of movie success. I strongly condemn this and request fans to stop any such activities.”
