Malavika Mohanan Sparks Backlash Over “1, 2, 3, 4” Acting Comments

New Delhi, january 22, 2026: In actress Malavika Mohanan sparked significant social media backlash following her candid remarks regarding the acting methods of certain female stars in the Tamil and Telugu film industries.

The Controversy: “1, 2, 3, 4”

During a roundtable interview with Galatta Plus, Mohanan criticized the lack of preparation among some of her peers. She claimed that many established actresses do not bother to learn their lines or the local language. Instead, she alleged they use “stock expressions” and simply mouth numbers or letters while filming.

“In Tamil and Telugu films, for the longest time, I know a few female actors where they don’t even bother to look at the line… you are making a sad expression and just counting 1, 2, 3, 4 or A, B, C, D,” Mohanan stated.

She explained that these actors rely on post-production dubbing to sync their lip movements with the actual dialogue, noting that some have built entire careers using this method.

Why It Attracted Flak

The comments quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism from fans and industry observers for several reasons:

• Generalization: Many social media users accused her of unfairly generalizing a diverse and talented industry, viewing her remarks as “arrogant” or a broad critique of professionalism in South Indian cinema.
• Performance Critique: Critics pointed to Mohanan’s own performances in films like Master and her recent release The Raja Saab (2026), suggesting she should “take her own advice” before critiquing others. Her acting in Master had previously been a subject of online trolling.
• Past History: This is not Mohanan’s first brush with such controversy. She previously faced the wrath of fans after indirectly criticizing actress Nayanthara for appearing with “flawless makeup” in a hospital scene, which she deemed unrealistic. She also drew heat for suggesting the term “Lady Superstar” should be replaced with a gender-neutral “Superstar.”

Mixed Reactions

While much of the response was negative—with some users suggesting she focus on her photoshoots rather than other actors’ work—a section of the audience defended her. Supporters argued that as an artist and an observer, she has the right to highlight what she perceives as a lack of authenticity in the craft.

Current Status

The controversy comes at a busy time for the actress. Following the mixed reviews of her Telugu debut The Raja Saab alongside Prabhas, she is set to appear next in the highly anticipated Tamil film Sardar 2 with Karthi. As of late January 2026, Mohanan has not issued a formal clarification regarding this latest round of backlash.