Koratala Siva delivered a series of hits with Mirchi, Srimanthudu, Janatha Garage, and Bharat Ane Nenu. However, his fifth film, Acharya, featuring Megastar Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan, turned out to be a disaster.
Not only did the film bomb at the box office, but it also damaged Siva’s reputation as a top director. His "Padaghattam" dialogue was mercilessly trolled.
After the film's failure, rumors circulated about a fallout between Chiranjeevi and Koratala Siva. Allegedly, Chiranjeevi blamed Siva’s direction, while Siva reportedly pointed to Chiranjeevi’s interference as the reason for the failure.
However, ahead of the release of Devara, Siva denied any rift with Megastar Chiranjeevi.
“He was the first person to wish me good luck when Devara was announced. He also encouraged me, assuring me that Devara would be an enormous hit. One flop doesn’t affect relationships. I have the utmost respect for him,” Koratala Siva stated.
