Ram Gopal Varma Apologises To Child Artist For ‘Traumatic Experience’ On Shiva Sets After 36 Years

Renowned filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma recently apologised child actress, who was involved in an action sequence with Nagarjuna in the 1989 movie, Shiva. The scene featured Nagarjuna and Sushma Anand Akoju, who was a child artist at that time, on a cycle in a chase sequence. In the scene, Nagarjuna’s character was getting attacked by people while he was cycling with his niece, played by Sushma. Decades later, the filmmaker introduced the child artist to his followers. After 36 years, RGV apologised to the child artist for the risky scene in the movie.

While sharing the picture of Sushma, Ram Gopal Varma tweeted, “This is the grown up girl Sushma from the iconic cycle chase scene in SHIVA where she is sitting scared on the bar with @Iamnagarjuna cycling in tension. @symbolicsushi is now doing research in AI and Cognitive Science in the USA.” Reacting to the post, Sushma replied, “Thank you, sir! Honoured to be remembered as part of Shiva's legacy. That experience as a child was unforgettable, and I'm grateful to have contributed to such an iconic film. Wishing you @RGVzoomin and @iamnagarjuna continued success with the Shiva 4K release!”

Ram Gopal Varma then shared a public apology tweet. He wrote, “Hey @symbolicsushi, please accept my sincere apologies after 36 years for subjecting you to such a traumatic experience which I didn't realise at that time. The directorial greed in me took over in being blinded to subjecting a little girl like you to such risky shots...I apologise once again.” Sushma seemed to have accepted his apology as she then tweeted, “Being part of Shiva is a cherished memory. That cycle chase adventure influenced me and prepared me for later intellectual endeavours and adventures. I felt safe and excited to be part of something magical. Shiva remains a souvenir.”

Also read: Ram Gopal Varma Deletes Tweet After Making Disrespectful Remarks on Kiara Advani’s Bikini Shot In War 2 Teaser

Also read: Siva Re-Release: Nagarjuna’s 1989 Blockbuster Telugu Movie To Hit Screen On This Date

Notably, Shiva was the debut movie of Ram Gopal Varma. The 1989 film featured Nagarjuna Akkineni, Amala Akkineni, JD Chakravarthy, Raghuvaran, Brij Gopal and Paresh Rawal in key roles. The movie has been produced by Akkineni Venkat and Yarlagadda Surendra. The film is streaming on YouTube and Prime Video. A remastered version of the film will be released in theatres on November 14, 2025.