Telugu stars Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Megastar Chiranjeevi, and Nani, among others, have strongly criticized Telangana minister Konda Surekha for her controversial remarks regarding the Telugu film industry. In a recent interview, she linked BRS president KT Rama Rao to the divorce of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, sparking outrage among industry professionals.
Allu Arjun, while not naming Surekha directly, took to Instagram to express his disapproval: “I strongly condemn the baseless derogatory comments made about film personalities and families. This behavior is deeply disrespectful and contradicts our Telugu values. We must uphold respect and dignity in our society, particularly towards women.”
Jr NTR was among the first to respond, calling it a “new low” to involve personal lives in political discourse, using the hashtag #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate.
Megastar Chiranjeevi expressed his dismay, stating he was “pained to see the disgraceful remarks made by an honorable woman minister.”
Nani also weighed in, highlighting the irresponsibility of making such comments from a respected position.
Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar condemned the unfounded statements, while actor-producer Lakshmi Manchu noted that attention-seeking politicians often target actors unjustly.
Director Srikanth Odela emphasized that power cannot purchase dignity, and popular screenwriter Kona Venkat called for an apology from Konda Surekha, criticizing her comments for setting a negative precedent.
Actor-producer Lakshmi Manchu pointed out that attention-seeking politicians often undermine a group of actors for their own gain.
In her comments, Konda Surekha accused KT Rama Rao of hosting rave parties for film stars, claiming that many actresses had left the industry due to his influence. The Akkineni family—including Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni, Naga Chaitanya, and Akhil Akkineni—defended themselves against her baseless allegations, with Samantha Ruth Prabhu demanding to be excluded from political disputes.
Following the backlash, Konda Surekha has retracted her statements regarding the divorce of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha.
