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Published Aug 04, 2025 | 7:32 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 04, 2025 | 7:32 PM
Chiranjeevi. (File photo/X)
Synopsis: Revanth Reddy, who once declared he wouldn’t entertain hikes in movie ticket prices, is now issuing “blockbuster blessings” from the Chief Minister’s chair. So, what’s brewing?
In Andhra Pradesh, politics and cinema walk hand-in-hand. In Telangana, they used to walk into each other. Not anymore.
Perhaps taking a leaf out of Andhra Pradesh’s political playbook, Telangana, too, seems to be getting comfortable with the glitz, glamour, and carefully choreographed hugs of the film industry.
Take Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, for instance. Not long ago, he roared like a lion in the Assembly, breathing fire at Allu Arjun over the stampede that killed a woman at Sandhya Theatre during the release of Pushpa 2: The Rule — and stopped short of calling it ‘Pushpa: The Stampede’. But now?
The man who once declared he wouldn’t entertain hikes in movie ticket prices is now issuing “blockbuster blessings” from the Chief Minister’s chair. Case in point: Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part I – Sword vs Spirit. Yes, that very same movie that slid off the box office cliff.
Post-Pushpa II palpitations, the Chief Minister seems to have embraced the film fraternity with warmth. The latest star to grace his chambers? None other than Megastar Chiranjeevi — a man who rules Tollywood, briefly flirted with politics, and now keeps surfacing at events where saffron is more than just a festive colour.
Though Chiranjeevi donned the Congress cap till 2014, he seems to have tucked it into his closet. Since then, he has been content reigning over Tollywood, making the occasional cameo appearances at politically scented events — especially those where his brother Pawan Kalyan and the BJP are in the frame.
Remember that cozy moment with Amit Shah after RRR became the pride of India? Or his VIP appearance, along with his son Ram Charan, at the Ramalayam consecration in Ayodhya. It was seen more as a soft saffron salute than a spiritual calling.
But now, plot twist: Chiranjeevi pops up smiling next to Revanth Reddy. It is being passed off as a “courtesy call,” but let us be honest — when was the last time someone knocked on a Chief Minister’s door just for chai and small talk? These days, even smiles are ROI-based. Naturally, eyebrows rose.
Some say Chiranjeevi’s long-forgotten Congress tag was dusted off to justify the bonhomie. But let us not kid ourselves — the man hasn’t been seen near a Congress programme in years. He didn’t officially resign from the party, remember?.
So what gives? Theories abound. One version has it that this was a strategic “friendly hello” before the release of Viswambhara (his own) and Peddi (his son’s). Maybe he’s gently lobbying for a ticket price hike. That said, neither film is set to release anytime soon. So, what was the real reason?
Your guess is as good as ours. Maybe like every good film, the real twist is yet to come.
