At the recent IIFA Awards in Abu Dhabi, controversy arose when anchors Rana Daggubati and Teja Sajja made satirical remarks about other Tollywood stars, including Mahesh Babu, Ravi Teja, and Prabhas. The comments sparked a backlash from fans on social media, who expressed their displeasure, claiming their favorite heroes were disrespected.

Responding to the uproar, Rana clarified that the jokes were scripted and intended purely for humor, not to offend. He added that humor nowadays requires disclaimers, highlighting how easily things can be misunderstood. Teja Sajja also defended the remarks, explaining that the puns were lighthearted and drawn from admiration for the stars he grew up watching.

This topic was revisited in the first episode of The Rana Daggubati show, streaming on Amazon Prime. Nani, Priyanka Mohan, and Teja Sajja were guests on the episode.

During the conversation, the IIFA trolling incident was brought up. Nani weighed in, noting that the line between humor and offense has blurred. He suggested that audiences would eventually grow accustomed to satirical comedy if exposed to it more often, but introducing such a shift requires time and effort.

Nani’s perspective adds an interesting point: humor needs careful execution, especially in regional industries with intense fandom culture.