SS Rajamouli, the Telugu filmmaker best known for his Baahubali films, called out the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Friday for its lack of services.
The filmmaker, who reached Delhi early Friday morning, took to social media to highlight instances of ill-maintenance at the airport and how passengers were not being provided with tables to fill out forms.
Rajamouli wrote on Twitter, “Dear Delhi Airport, arrived at 1 am by Lufthansa flight. Forms were given to fill for the RT PCR test. All the passengers are sitting on the floors or propped against the walls to fill the forms. Not a pretty sight. Providing tables is a simple service.”
He went on to add: “And surprised to find so many stray dogs in the hangar outside the exit gate. Again not a great first impression of India for foreigners. Please look into it.”
After the national capital eased Covid-19 restrictions, the Delhi airport has witnessed a rise in footfall. As per a report in The Indian Express on Friday, the number of passengers per day at the airport stood at 62,000 by the end of June. The report added that visiting friends and family category made up 48% of those who flew, followed by the vacation category (25%) and business travellers (19%).
It is unclear if the airport authorities have addressed the filmmaker’s concerns.
Rajamouli is currently busy with his upcoming film RRR (Roudram Ranam Rudhiram). The pan-Indian film features an ensemble cast that includes actors Ram Charan, Junior NTR, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Alison Doody, Olivia Morris, and Ray Stevenson.
Recommended
It is a fictional account of real-life freedom fighters Alluri Sitaramaraju, and Komaram Bheem and is scheduled to hit cinemas on October 13.
The film was embroiled in a controversy in November 2020, after the Telangana BJP state president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar had threatened to burn down theatres if RRR depicted Bheem (played by Junior NTR) wearing a skullcap. Kumar claimed that not depicting Bheem as a Hindu would “[undermine] the sentiments of adivasis.”
Rajamouli had rubbished the allegations stating that the film, instead of dwelling on stories of the freedom fighters’ rebellion, focuses on “what would have happened if they had met during their self-imposed exile and become friends.”
Made on a budget of Rs 450 crore, the film will release in five languages — Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi.