Actor Kajol recently stirred controversy while promoting her upcoming horror film Maa, releasing on June 27. The actress spoke about experiencing spooky vibes at Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City and called it “one of the most haunted locations in the world.” Her statement sparked heavy backlash online, with several social media users accusing her of being disrespectful towards the Telugu film industry.

On Monday evening, Kajol took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify her remarks. “I wish to address my earlier remark about Ramoji Film City in the context of promoting my film MAA,” she wrote. “I have filmed multiple projects at Ramoji Film City and stayed there many times over the years. I have always found it to be a very professional environment for filmmaking, and I have seen so many tourists enjoying themselves. It’s a great destination and absolutely safe for families and children.”

Kajol’s original comment was made while recounting her eerie experiences during shoots. “There are a lot of places where we have been, stayed there, and even shot at, but we couldn’t sleep the whole night. Or we felt like getting out of there would become a big deal, and that we would never come back there. One prime example is Ramoji Rao Studios in Hyderabad, which is considered one of the most haunted places in the world. A few times I have felt, oh God, but he has taken care of me, and I haven’t encountered a ghost in person to date,” she had said.

Maa is part of the growing Shaitaan horror universe, which began with Ajay Devgn’s blockbuster earlier this year. A sequel to Shaitaan is reportedly in the works. With the rising popularity of horror-themed cinematic universes like Maddock Films’ horror-comedy franchise, Bollywood is steadily expanding into the genre, with Maa aiming to leave its mark next.