'Directorial greed': Director Ram Gopal Varma apologises to Sushma after 36 years of Shiva starring Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director Ram Gopal Varma has apologised to Sushma, the child actress who played a role in his debut film Shiva. Ram Gopal Varma apologised to the girl for exposing her to dangerous shots during a stunt in the film's iconic cycle chase scene. The director's apology comes 36 years after the shooting. He said that Sushma, who played a child actress in that scene, is now doing research in Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science in the US.

Hey Sushma,

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 - RGV posted on his X page.

Ram Gopal Varma apologised to Sushma, sharing a previous X note with Sushma's latest picture with the caption,'This is the grown-up girl Sushma from the iconic cycle chase scene in SHIVA where she is sitting scared on the bar with Nagarjuna Akkineni cycling in tension ... Sushma is now doing research in AI and Cognitive Science in the USA.' He wrote on X.

Moments after sharing the post, Sushma replied to Ram Gopal Varma,

'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 and Nagarjuna Akkineni continued success with the Shiva 4K release! ' Sushma said.