Hyderabad, Nov 12 (NationPress) After 36 years since his debut film ‘Shiva’, renowned director Ram Gopal Varma has publicly apologized to a child actor involved in a memorable cycle chase sequence from the film, which has become a cult classic.

Varma extended his apologies to the child for exposing her to hazardous shots during the filming of the stunt.

On his X timeline, he introduced the child actress Sushma, now residing in the USA and engaged in research in Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science. He stated, "This is the grown-up girl Sushma from the iconic cycle chase scene in ‘SHIVA’ where she is seen frightened on the bar while @Iamnagarjuna cycles in a tense situation. @symbolicsushi is currently researching AI and Cognitive Science in the USA."

In response to Varma's tweet, Sushma expressed her gratitude, stating, "Thank you, sir! I am honored to be remembered as part of Shiva’s legacy. That childhood experience was unforgettable, and I am thankful to have contributed to such an iconic film. Wishing you @RGVzoomin and @iamnagarjuna continued success with the Shiva 4K release!"

Varma then reiterated his apology to Sushma, saying, "Hey @symbolicsushi, please accept my heartfelt apologies after 36 years for subjecting you to such a distressing experience, which I failed to recognize at that time. My directorial ambition overshadowed my judgment in putting a young girl like you in such risky situations. I sincerely apologize once again."

For those unfamiliar, ‘Shiva’ was Ram Gopal Varma’s directorial debut. It starred actors Nagarjuna and Amala, with the late actor Raghuvaran as the antagonist.

The cycle chase scene mentioned by Varma occurs when Nagarjuna, portraying a college student involved in politics, is assaulted by a gang while riding his bicycle, and he is accompanied by a child (his niece) during the attack.

This film, which became immensely popular, was later remade in Tamil as ‘Udhayam’, which also enjoyed significant success.

IANS

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