Hyderabad: Tollywood actor Rana Daggubati is grabbed attention online after a video of him throwing a water bottle at Kannada anchor Akul Balaji during the awards ceremony went viral on social media.
The incident took place during the 14th edition of SIIMA (South Indian International Movie Awards), which was held on September 12 and 13 at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. While the clip has sparked mixed reactions online, the moment appears to have been a playful exchange between Rana and Akul, who are known to be friends.
Why did Rana Daggubati throw a bottle at Akul Balaji?
Akul Balaji, one of Kannada cinema’s popular television anchors, was interacting with the cast and crew of Rana’s upcoming project when he repeatedly questioned them about whether Rana would be part of Mirai 2.
It appears that Rana decided to get back at the anchor in a light-hearted way, eventually throwing a water bottle towards him on stage. The exchange left those around them amused and quickly became one of the talking points from the awards night.
The incident was reportedly part of their friendly banter, and there is no indication that Rana and Akul had any serious disagreement.
However, the short video has taken a life of its own online, with several social media users comparing the moment to actor Will Smith’s infamous Oscars incident.
‘Our Will Smith at Oscars’
The comparison stems from the 2022 Academy Awards, when Will Smith walked onto the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
While Rana’s bottle-throwing moment was clearly different in context and appears to have been a friendly exchange, some social media users couldn’t resist drawing parallels.
One user commented, “Our Will Smith at Oscars.”
Another wrote, “Oscars can never match this level.”
“This is against the decorum of the event, not expected from him,” read another comment.
One social media user pointed out, “They may be very good friends in real life but on that big stage, maybe it is not good.”
Another asked, “Is this behaviour funny for him?”
The reactions show that while some viewers found the moment entertaining, others felt that such actions should be avoided on a major awards stage, regardless of the equation between the people involved.
Rana Daggubati’s upcoming projects
Rana Daggubati continues to be one of the most prominent names in South Indian cinema, with several interesting projects lined up. The actor is set to play the lead antagonist in the upcoming VFX-heavy fantasy film Vishwambhara starring Chiranjeevi. He is also associated with Kaantha, which features Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan.
Meanwhile, the SIIMA 2026 ceremony brought together several major names from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema. The first day, held on September 12, celebrated Telugu and Kannada cinema, while the second day on September 13 honoured achievements in Tamil and Malayalam cinema.
