Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna has kicked up a political storm in Andhra Pradesh with disparaging remarks questioning megastar K. Chiranjeevi’s initiative in resolving the Telugu film industry’s movie ticket pricing issues during the YSRCP government.
The comments in the state assembly have put NDA alliance partner Jana Sena Party (JSP) in an awkward position, as JSP supremo and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is Chiranjeevi’s younger brother. The remarks have also left coalition leader and TDP president, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, in a difficult situation.
Balakrishna, a third-time MLA from Hindupuram, interrupted a discussion in the assembly on Thursday and questioned BJP MLA Kamineni Srinivas’ observations that it was only after Chiranjeevi’s intervention and insistence that then-chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy agreed to meet top film personalities to discuss ticket pricing.
The reference was to the February 2022 meeting at Jagan’s Tadepalli camp office, where Chiranjeevi led a delegation—including Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, and top directors S.S. Rajamouli and Koratala Siva—as the YSRCP government moved to fix movie ticket rates.
Balakrishna intervened and derisively dismissed Kamineni’s version as untrue, claiming that yevadu kooda (no fellow had) had ever confronted Jagan, even as he referred to the former CM as “psycho gadu (fellow)”.
As the matter snowballed in the two Telugu–speaking states, by evening, Chiranjeevi came out with a statement refuting Balakrishna’s version and acknowledged Jagan’s positive response to his request and support to the film industry.
Chiranjeevi said he took the initiative of meeting Jagan after several industry leaders requested him to do so.
After a meeting was arranged with Jagan, Chiranjeevi said, several efforts were made to get Balakrishna also to join the delegation. But Balakrishna did not respond to his calls/invite and refused to join the meeting.
“So, a few of us went to meet Jagan in a special flight (from Hyderabad) and I explained to the CM the difficulties faced by Telugu film industry and sought AP government support. Thus, it was my effort, initiative, I can say and people present there are witness, that the government allowed an increase in ticket prices,” Chiranjeevi said in the press release sent from abroad.
Chiranjeevi said that even one of Balakrishna’s movies at that time, Veerasimha Reddy, had benefitted as a result of the meeting with Jagan.
“The same government decision allowed the price increase of your Veerasimha Reddy and my Waltair Veeraiah movie tickets, which benefitted the producers, distributors and exhibitors,” he added.
Chiranjeevi ended the note by saying that his nature made him “talk politely with everyone, be it the chief minister or a common man”.
While Chiranjeevi fans and Jana Sena activists seethed in anger, especially on social media, neither Pawan Kalyan nor his party has responded to Balakrishna’s comments yet.
“What should we respond to? The JSP is committed to the coalition dharma, wanting the alliance to last for years. It is for the TDP leadership to avoid such unnecessary issues and take care of troublesome leaders, be it anyone,” a senior JSP leader told ThePrint.
Professional rivalry
Balakrishna, a popular actor affectionately called Balayya by his fans, is TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao’s son and the chief minister’s brother-in-law. He is the father of Brahmani, wife of HRD, IT minister and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh.
Added to the Kamma vs Kapu caste/community friction in Tollywood, Balakrishna’s decades-old professional rivalry with Chiranjeevi is well known, as are his occasional and indirect outbursts against the superstar over the years. Chiranjeevi, who also dabbled in politics and served as a MLA, Rajya Sabha MP and a union minister, is lovingly called Chiru by his followers.
The TDP MLA also targeted JSP minister for cinematography, Kandula Durgesh. Pointing his finger aggressively at the minister seated in the house, Balakrishna sought to know who was responsible for his name being placed at ninth place in an invitation from the Film Development Corporation.
“Yevadu vaadu chesindi (Which fellow did this), I asked the minister,” the TDP leader demanded, as Durgesh remained silent, and some TDP members broke into laughter.
YSRCP leaders, including former cinematography minister Perni Venkataramaiah, strongly objected to Balakrishna’s “wild aggression, indecorum” in the house and his targeting of Chiranjeevi and Jagan.
“During his Akhanda film release, this same Balakrishna approached us meekly, seeking an appointment with CM Jagan. When I took that request to him, Jagan, even without the need for any meet, directed us to be lenient on Balakrishna’s requirements,” Perni told a news channel.
“Forget gratitude, Balakrishna has now proved himself to be a certified psycho. Just compare his behaviour then and now when he is high on power,” he added.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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