Throwback: When a billboard of Anushka Shetty caused accidents on road

It's been 15 years since the groundbreaking Telugu multi-starrer "Vedam", featuring Allu Arjun, Anushka Shetty, and Manchu Manoj, was released in theatres on June 4, 2010, and completely revamped storytelling mode in Tollywood.

The film went on to become a modern classic in Telugu cinema and is known for pioneering hyperlink cinema, a narrative method that relies on the multiple characters-cum-anthology design to interweave a series of unrelated stories.

Fifteen years on, the team of Vedam fondly remembers the film. One of the most epic anecdotes that Director Krish Jagarlamudi, who directed this piece of cinema history, told during the promotions of the project was that he had gone to the mall on the day of the release and slipped into the theatre to watch the film in the company of the audience.

 Krish, who was promoting the film himself, revealed a strange incident from Vedam's promotional campaign in this interview, and it revolved around a massive hoarding of Anushka Shetty.

At Punjagutta Circle, we set up a huge poster with Anushka in a daring pose. It caused such a commotion that there were over 40 traffic accidents in that area," Krish remembered. "So many complaints started coming in that the police asked us to take it down. It was that kind of a magnetic effect that she had in the role."

Anushka portrayed Saroja, a commercial sex worker in the film, a role which went on to defy conventional boundaries as well as receive accolades from critics. Her daring role, combined with its social relevance, easily made her a hit for both audiences and critics.

Anushka Shetty and Krish Join Hands Again For Ghaati
And, on the 15th anniversary of Anthem, it has now been announced that Anushka and Krish are collaborating on a film together yet again — for a heavy-duty rural crime drama Ghaati. With Ghaati set to drop on July 11, 2025, Anushka will be portraying the title character of a marijuana trader, attempting to swim through an underworld of violence and survival.

The film is a departure from the typical heroine-oriented Telugu cinema, much like how Anushka's role in Vedam was. With Ghaati, the duo hopes to cross new frontiers, once more—this time in the world of rural noir.

Even as fans mark the 15th anniversary of Vedam, there seems to be renewed hope for Ghaati, proof that there's still room for risk in Telugu cinema.