A new Telugu web series All India Rankers (AIR) has found itself at the centre of a controversy, after certain scenes with references to caste fanaticism among Kamma students in Andhra Pradesh sparked backlash from members of the community on social media.
The scene has since been deleted by the OTT platform ETV Win.
AIR is a show set in an engineering entrance exam coaching centre in Andhra Pradesh, directed by Joseph Clinton and starring well-known actors including Sunil, Harsha Chemudu, Sandeep Raj, and Harsh Roshan.
The controversy erupted over a scene in the series that depicts a Kamma student encouraging others from the community to form alliances and exhibit caste dominance on campus.
While the community was not explicitly named in the scene, the blackboard in the background has the words “C HOW DARE” – an obvious reference to Chowdary. Similarly, the dialogue has references of yellow flags – the flag colour of the Telugu Desam Party – a party with a significant Kamma support base. Incidentally, ETV is seen as a media house that favours the ruling TDP.
Following a massive online campaign by Kamma community members, both ETV Win and the show’s producer Sandeep Raj issued public apologies.
“Moving forward, we will be more careful and considerate to ensure our content reflects the values of respect and inclusivity. Thank you for your understanding and continued support,” ETV Win said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Raj, announced that the scene in question had been deleted and promised not to repeat such “mistakes.”
“I am not here to cover up things and support what WE did. As a filmmaker i only believe in one slogan “Audience are always right”. If that particular CONTENT hurted you. I am extremely sorry for being part of it (sic),” Sandeep wrote.
In his apology, he reminded the agitating groups that he received appreciation from the same group for being part of actor Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaaj. Balakrishna is a TDP MLA and son of the party’s founder NT Rama Rao.
“2025 started on a greatest note for me by being part of such massive blockbuster film like Daaku Maharaj. The love i got in the name of tweets, gave me immense confidence to do more and more beautiful work. But now seeing the hatred from same accounts and same people is definitely pinching my heart (sic),” he wrote.
Promising not to repeat the “mistake,” Raj clarified, “Everyone makes mistakes in the early stages of their career. We did the same and rectified it immediately. Malli chese uddhesam aithe assalu ledhu (There is absolutely no intention of repeating it).”
He urged viewers to remember AIR for its storytelling and performances rather than the controversial scene.
Meanwhile, the controversy has also sparked a debate online, with several users defending the show, arguing that portraying caste fanaticism is not offensive if it reflects an existing social reality in Andhra Pradesh.