When tinsel town buddies turn foes
When actors straddle the world of politics too, the acronym BFF need not stand for Best Friends Forever
What was once a harmonious union could soon turn into an ugly spat!
Actress-politician and Andhra Pradesh Minister Roja, and actorpolitician Naga Babu have together been judging hundreds of comedy and reality skits on television. They share a great professional relationship. But a couple of weeks ago, Roja severely criticised Naga Babu and his two brothers — Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan — for not doing anything for the welfare of the people, and said that was why Chiranjeevi and Pawan couldn’t win elections.
Naga Babu was quick to retaliate! Describing Roja as a ‘municipality bin’, he asked her to refrain from commenting on him and his brothers. While criticism is common in politics, what’s appalling is the harshness of their comments.
RAM CHARAN COUNTERS ROJA?
THESE DAYS THERE’S MORE ACTING IN POLITICS THAN IN FILMS, AND ABUSING OPPONENTS IS A PART OF THAT. PEOPLE ARE ACTING MORE IN POLITICS THAN IN FILMS — PRASANNA KUMAR, Secretary of Telugu Film Producers Council
MY FATHER (CHIRANJEEVI) MAY STAY SILENT BUT IF HE GETS ANGRY NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE CAN WITHSTAND IT. ONLY FAMILY AND FANS HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMMENT ON HIM. HE MAY BE SILENT BUT WE PEOPLE BEHIND HIM DON’T ENTERTAIN ANY LOOSE TALK.
In the context of this public spat between the erstwhile co-panellists, Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan made interesting comments at the success meet of Waltair Veerayya (starring his dad), at Warangal. He said. “My father (Chiranjeevi) may stay silent but if he gets angry not too many people can withstand it. Only family and fans have the right to comment on him. He may be silent but we people behind him don’t entertain any loose talk,” Charan said, without naming names.
FANS ARE DIFFERENT FROM VOTERS!
This is not the first time that actors who share a great rapport in films have criticised each other on political platforms. Pawan and Ali (who is now Andhra Pradesh Electronic Media Advisor) are close friends in the film scenario. But that did not stop them taking digs at each other during the 2019 AP Assembly elections.
Pawan said Ali was his close friend but had deserted him by joining the YSRCP instead of Jana Sena. Ali was quick to counter, saying that he had the right to join any political party he wished to. He added that he had forged his own path, unlike Pawan, who has followed his brother Chiranjeevi’s footsteps.
Senior political analyst Bhandaru Srinivas Rao says actors need to realise that fans and film buffs are different from voters. While acknowledging that filmy glamour helps pull
— RAM CHARAN
in the crowds, Srinivas however says the credibility factor, and people taking the actor-politician seriously is the key. “Once an actor steps into politics, he has to put his personal preferences aside and speak according to his party’s stand,” he says. Just like how good content has been missing in films, principled politics has become a rarity, he says.
FRIENDS TURN FOES ON DIFFERENT PLATFORMS
Jamuna-ntr, Krishna-ntr, Balakrishna-chiranjeevi and Vijayashanti-chiranjeevi are all examples of actor friends turning foes. “Best Friends Forever turn Best Foes Forever as politics takes centre stage,” jokes Harikrishna Mamidi, Director, Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana. “If actors bump into each other at a filmy event, they say they are all one family. But in politics, they speak on their party’s behalf,” he notes.
Since Roja and Naga Babu are a super hit judge pair, it is believed that when they are at loggerheads the traction will be even greater. This is ‘combat strategy’ where one person criticises another from the same fraternity. “Don’t be surprised if you see Naga Babu and Roja judging a reality show together again. The TRPS will be even higher,” promises Harikrishna.
That leads us to