Hyderabad:
Even for those who've watched from a distance, the politics that have unfolded in Andhra Pradesh over the last year have been action-packed. Chief Minister YSR Reddy died in a helicopter crash; his son, Jagan Mohan, has defied his party's orders to tour the state with the indefatigable energy and draw of a rock star with sell-out concerts; a campaign by the region of Telangana to win statehood forced its way to Delhi, to be given the green light, only to find the decision somewhat reversed a few weeks later.
You'd think that means politicians in the state are working overtime. But Chiranjeevi, actor and chief of the Praja Rajyam Party, says he needs more. So, two years after he publicly announced his exit from films to focus on politics, he's going back for more. His inspiration? Robot, the new mega-crore Tamil film, starring Rajinikanth. "Earlier when my fans tried to force me to do films again, I said no. But after seeing Robot's trailer, I may not say no to my fans request. Let us see," said Chiranjeevi, at an event attended by Rajinikanth in Hyderabad.
In fact, say those close to Chiranjeevi, he's already reading scripts to find a role that would masterfully exploit his political persona. "I cannot say when exactly but before next year's birthday, a film will be released," says his son, Ramcharan Teja.
Perhaps Chiranjeevi hopes to use the box office to draw massive crowds - the sort that are greeting Jagan Mohan on his 'odarpu yatra' - a show of strength so forceful that it has led to both a ban and a counter-yatra by the Congress. There is speculation that if Jagan should indeed cause a split in the Congress, the current Chief Minister, K Rosaiah, may seek the support of Chiranjeevi and his 18 MLAs.
Navigating those sort of tricky negotiations becomes easier when hoardings and cinemas boast of the comeback of Chiranjeevi - who has delivered some of the state's biggest hits including Indra and Qaidi.