Anshu Ambani asks fans to put Trinadha Rao Nakkina controversy to rest after director's apology

New Delhi: Actor Anshu Ambani on Tuesday urged fans to move past the controversy over Mazaka director Trinadha Rao Nakkina's comments about her body and focus on the release of their upcoming Telugu film.

At the teaser launch event of Mazaka on Sunday, Nakkina's comments about Ambani's body type and "size" drew sharp criticism on social media and within the industry, leading the director to apologise to the actor publicly. He also said the remarks were made in "jest".

Ambani, in a video statement shared on social media, downplayed the incident and called Nakkina "the loveliest man on the planet".

"I believe his words may have been taken out of context... He has treated me as a member of his family. I've worked on this movie for 60 days, and I have been given nothing but respect, love, and lots of good wishes. Please, everybody, if we can put this to bed because I'm so excited about the movie.

"I feel we should all watch the film for the right reasons. Trinadha sir has been an absolute pleasure to work with. I could not have asked for a better director to bring me back to the Telugu film industry. I'm grateful that he has been guiding me through this process. I have nothing but love and gratitude for him and the entire team," the London-born actor said in the clip.

On Monday, Nakkina released a video statement and apologised for the comments he made, calling them "unfortunate".

“I made those comments in jest, hoping to make everyone laugh. However, if these remarks have hurt you, this is my mistake. I would like to issue a heartfelt apology, as they were objectionable. I will also personally apologise to Anshu. I didn’t realise this would become such a significant issue," he said.

Ambani, known for Telugu films Manmadhudu and Raghavendra, and Tamil title Jai, is returning to Telugu cinema after over 20 years with Mazaka, which will release in theatres on February 21.