Director Sukumar’s Best Screenplay win for Pushpa 2 at the 72nd National Film Awards has unexpectedly brought back an old controversy. Soon after the awards were announced, senior journalist Audi Narayana shared a long Facebook post claiming that he had given Sukumar the original idea of using the red sandalwood backdrop and the research that later inspired Pushpa.
In his post, Audi Narayana said he met Sukumar after the success of Rangasthalam. He claimed the director liked his writing and invited him for several discussions. According to Audi, Sukumar wanted to make a mass entertainer deeply rooted in Telugu culture, just as KGF was rooted in Karnataka.
Audi claimed that he suggested making a film about red sandalwood smugglers and laborers. He said he explained how workers from Tamil Nadu entered the Seshachalam forests, the dangers they faced, and the larger network behind the illegal red sandalwood trade. He also claimed that he gave Sukumar research material, documents, and other references that later became the basis for Pushpa.
According to Audi, their communication slowly stopped, and Sukumar eventually blocked him on WhatsApp.
Audi Narayana said his disappointment did not end with Pushpa. He claimed that the story of 18 Pages was also based on an idea he had shared with Sukumar’s team. He said he realized this only after watching the film on OTT. Calling it a “second blow” from the Sukumar camp, Audi alleged that he was left without any credit or the opportunity that had earlier been promised to him.
Audi wrote that a film based on his core idea helped Allu Arjun win the National Award for Best Actor and has now earned Sukumar the National Award for Best Screenplay, while he received no recognition for his contribution.
Audi Narayana claimed that after talking publicly about his interactions with Sukumar, he faced personal attacks and was accused of falsely taking credit for someone else’s work. He also alleged that he was slammed for making his private conversations with Sukumar public.
Audi said he is not trying to take away Sukumar’s award. Instead, he said he only wanted people to know what happened during the making of Pushpa and why seeing Sukumar receive the country’s highest honor for Best Screenplay brought back painful memories of feeling ignored and betrayed.
The controversy has also brought back another long-standing allegation related to Rangasthalam. Some social media users pointed to filmmaker Gandhi Manohar’s earlier story credit dispute with Sukumar, claiming the matter is still pending before the Telugu Film Directors’ Association.
