The launch of Allu Arjun’s brand-new theatre venture created plenty of buzz online, but not entirely for the reasons expected. While fans admired the sleek interiors of the newly opened Allu Cinemas in Kokapet,
Hyderabad, one particular feature, the so-called “Wall of Greats”, quickly became the centre of debate on social media.
The cinema hall was inaugurated on Thursday evening in the presence of Revanth Reddy, the Chief Minister of Telangana. Images and videos from the venue soon began circulating online, giving viewers a glimpse of the theatre’s design and decor.
One section of the venue that caught the most attention is a long corridor displaying portraits of prominent filmmakers from India and abroad. The installation, referred to as the “Wall of Greats,” honours several well-known directors who have made significant contributions to cinema.
Among the filmmakers featured on the wall are S. S. Rajamouli, Sukumar, Trivikram Srinivas, Mani Ratnam, Vetrimaaran, Atlee, Rishab Shetty, Prashanth Neel, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Rajkumar Hirani, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The display also includes the names of several international filmmakers.
However, once clips of the wall surfaced online, many social media users began questioning the selection. Some pointed out the absence of several influential filmmakers and debated whether the list truly reflected the most celebrated directors across industries.
One user wrote on X, “Atlee is there but Shankar isn’t. Please explain this BS. In Kannada, Upendra isn’t there but Neel and Rishabh are there. Moverover in telugu, couldn’t spot K Vishwanath but Sandeep vanga is there,” while another commented, “Instead of kids like Atlee, Shetty, Neel, SRV. Shuld be Vinayak, Puri, Vaitla.”
Others suggested that several veteran Telugu filmmakers should also have been included. One comment read, “Kv reddy,Vittalacharya, Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, Bapu, Raghavendra Rao, jhandhyala, Dasari narayan rao kuda unte baundu. (Would’ve been nice to include KV Reddy, Vittalacharya, Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, Bapu, Raghavendra Rao, Jandhyala, Dasari Narayana Rao).”
Some users also questioned the absence of well-known filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma, Shankar and Krishna Vamsi. One user asked, “Where is RGV man?” while another posted, “RAMYA KRISHNAN husband ledenti (Why is Ramya Krishnan’s husband (Krishna Vamsi) not included?)”.
Amid the criticism, a few fans attempted to interpret the selection differently. One supporter suggested that the wall may represent filmmakers Allu Arjun has worked with or hopes to collaborate with in the future, writing, “The WALL OF GREATS means people worked with Allu Arjun and the people Allu Arjun wanted to work with..”
Still, several users continued to question the choices. One comment summed up the sentiment online: “Puri Jagannadh????? Ram Gopal Varma????? Shankar????? wtf is this “wall of greats” without them???”
The launch event was attended by several members of the actor’s family, including his wife Allu Sneha Reddy, brother Allu Sirish, sister-in-law Nayanika Reddy and father Allu Aravind. During the event, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also praised Allu Arjun and encouraged him to explore opportunities in Hollywood.
