Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR and Allu Arjun are among the top actors who slammed the minister's remarks
Top stars of the Telugu film industry have come out strongly against Telangana Minister Konda Surekha's remarks linking Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader KT Rama Rao with the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Veteran actor Chiranjeevi said in a post on X that he was "extremely pained" to see the "disgraceful remarks" by the minister.
"It is a shame that celebs and members of film fraternity become soft targets as they provide instant reach and attention. We as Film Industry stand united in opposing such vicious verbal assaults on our members," Mr Chiranjeevi said.
"No one should stoop to this level for scoring political points by dragging unconnected people and more so women into their political slug fest and make distasteful fictional allegations. We choose our leaders to make the society a better place to live in, and not contaminate it by lowering the discourse. Politicians and people in honourable positions should set better examples. Trust the concerned will make amends and withdraw these malicious remarks immediately," he added.
Another top actor to respond to the massive row surrounding the Congress leader was NT Rama Rao Junior, popularly known Jr NTR. The 'RRR' actor put out a post addressing the minister and said "dragging personal lives into politics is a new low". "Public figures, especially those in responsible positions like you, must maintain dignity and respect for privacy. It's disheartening to see baseless statements thrown around carelessly, especially about the film industry".
"We will not sit quietly while others make baseless allegations against us. We should rise above this and maintain respect for each other's boundaries. Let's ensure our society does not normalize such reckless behavior in democratic India," the actor said.
Renowned actor Allu Arjun strongly condemned the remarks with a post and hashtag: "#FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate".
"I strongly condemn the baseless derogatory comments made about film personalities and film families. This behavior is deeply disrespectful and goes against the values of our Telugu culture. Such irresponsible actions should not be accepted as normal. I urge the parties involved to act more responsibly and respect individual privacy, especially towards women. We must promote respect and dignity in society as a whole," the Pushpa actor said.
Actor Nani said it was "disgusting to see politicians thinking that they can get away talking any kind of nonsense". "When your words can be so irresponsible it's stupid of us to expect that you will have any responsibility for your people. It's not just about actors or cinema. This is not abt any political party. It is not okay for someone in such a respectable position to talk such utter baseless rubbish infront of media and think that it is okay. We all should condemn such practice which will reflect poorly on our society," he said in a post on X.
Vishnu Manchu, actor and president of the Movie Artists Association, sid the film industry is built on mutual respect and trust, and it is disheartening to see how false narratives were being used for public or political gain.
As artists, we are no strangers to public attention, but our families are private, and they deserve the same respect and protection as any other family. Just as no one would appreciate their own loved ones being targeted or their personal lives dragged into baseless allegations, we too demand for the same dignity to be extended to us," he said.
"I humbly appeal to all leaders, politicians, and people in positions of influence to refrain from using the names of actors and their families for political narratives or attention-seeking headlines. We, as a film fraternity, work hard to entertain and contribute to society, and it is my earnest request that personal lives be left out of public discourse," Mr Manchu added.
Ms Surekha sparked a massive row while accusing BRS leader and former minister KT Rama Rao of tapping the phones of actresses and blackmailing them. "It is KT Rama Rao because of whom (actress) Samantha's divorce happened... He was a minister at that time and used to tap the phones of the actresses and then find their weaknesses to blackmail them... He used to make them drug addicts and then do this... Everyone knows this, Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, his family -- everybody is aware that such a thing happened," the minister said.
The remarks drew a sharp response from Nagarjuna Akkineni, veteran actor and Naga Chaitanya's father. "I strongly condemn the comments of the Honorable Minister Mrs. Konda Surekha. Don't use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents. Please respect other people's privacy. As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately."
Naga Chaitanya said the decision of a divorce is "one of the most painful and unfortunate life decisions one has to make".
After a lot of thought, a mutual decision was made by me and my former spouse to part ways. It was a decision made in peace, owing to our different life goals and in the interest of moving forward with respect and dignity as two mature adults. However, there have been various baseless and completely ridiculous gossips on the matter so far. I have remained silent all this while out of deep respect for my earlier spouse as well as my family," he said.
"Today, the claim made by Minister Konda surekha garu is not only false, it is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. Women deserve to be supported and respected. Taking advantage and exploiting the personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful," he added.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu said it takes a lot of courage and strength for a woman to survive in a glamorous industry where women are more often than not treated as props. "Konda Surekha Garu, I am proud of what this journey turned me into please don't trivialise it. I hope you realise that your words carry significant weight as a minister. I implore you to be responsible and respectful of individuals' privacy. My divorce is a personal matter, and I request that you refrain from speculating about it. Our choice to keep things private doesn't invite misrepresentation," she said in a social media post.
"To clarify: my divorce was mutual consent and amicable, with no political conspiracy involved. Could you please keep my name out of political battles? I have always remained non-political and wish to continue doing so," she added.
Amid the massive backlash, Ms Surekha issued a clarification and said her remark was aimed at questioning KT Rama Rao for "belittling women" and she did not intend to hurt Samantha Prabhu's sentiments.
"My comments are meant to question a leader's belittling of women and not to hurt your (Samantha Prabhu) sentiments. The way you have grown up with self-power is not only an admiration for me but also an ideal...If you or your fans are offended by my comments, I unconditionally retract my comments. Don't think otherwise," she said.
KTR, son of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has now sent a defamation notice to the minister and accused the ruling Congress of resorting to "disgusting and nauseating politics".
The massive backlash from the film fraternity prompted state Congress chief Mahesh Goud to step in.
Mr Goud urged film personalities to put an end to the controversy surrounding Ms Surekha's remarks. In a statement, he said the minister has apologized and withdrawn her comments and stressed that her intention was not to belittle women's sentiments.