Hyderabad: In the wake of Konda Surekha's controversial remarks about Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, the Telugu film industry has united in strong support of the Akkineni family and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Leading figures, including Ram Charan, Prabhas, Mahesh Babu, and SS Rajamouli, have condemned the minister’s comments as irresponsible and baseless, underlining the need for respect for personal lives.
Ram Charan, taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, expressed his dismay over Surekha’s comments. "Making vulgar public comments about respected individuals is shocking," he wrote. "This kind of slander aims to destroy the fundamentals of our society." He firmly stated that the film industry stands united against this kind of reckless behaviour, asserting, "Our private lives are sacred to us and deserve due respect. We are public figures; we must uplift, not tear one another." His statement concluded with the hashtag #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate, which has resonated widely on social media.
— Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) October 3, 2024
Similarly, Prabhas condemned the minister’s remarks regarding the couple's divorce. In a post on his Instagram Stories, he stressed that "disrespecting personal lives for political gain is unacceptable," insisting that decorum and dignity must remain above politics.
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli also weighed in, urging respect for boundaries and dignity. He stated on X, "Respect boundaries, maintain dignity. Baseless allegations are intolerable, especially when made by public officials! #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate."
Respect boundaries, maintain dignity. Baseless allegations are intolerable, especially when made by public officials!#FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate
— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) October 3, 2024
Mahesh Babu expressed his distress over the situation, writing on X, "Extremely pained by the comments made by Minister Konda Surekha garu on fellow members of our film fraternity." As a father, husband, and son, he articulated his anguish over "the unacceptable remarks and language used by a woman minister on another woman." He also stated that the need for freedom of speech to be exercised responsibly, stating, "The women of our country and our film fraternity should be treated with utmost respect and dignity."
Extremely pained by the comments made by Minister Konda Surekha garu on fellow members of our film fraternity. As a father of a daughter, as a husband to a wife and as son to a mother... I am deeply anguished by the unacceptable remarks and language used by a woman minister on…
— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) October 3, 2024
These reactions came after Konda Surekha insinuated a connection between former Minister KTR and the divorce, accusing him of phone tapping and blackmailing actors. Such claims sparked outrage across the industry, prompting Nagarjuna Akkineni, Naga Chaitanya's father, to file a defamation case against Surekha in the Hyderabad district court.
Actor Vijay Deverakonda also shared his frustration, lamenting the current state of politics. “We vote for them to look after us, to talk about infrastructure and investment, bring in jobs and prosperity… Politics cannot get any lower. Enough," he posted on X.
Struggling to express in decent language my thoughts and feelings on what happened, today’s politics, politicians and their behaviour.
— Vijay Deverakonda (@TheDeverakonda) October 3, 2024
Just want to remind many politicians out there that we vote for them to look after us, to talk about infrastructure and investment , bring in…
Other prominent figures such as Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Nani, and Khushbu Sundar have also condemned Surekha’s remarks, further amplifying the collective voice of the industry under the hashtag #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate.
In response to the backlash, Konda Surekha clarified that her remarks were intended to challenge KTR for "belittling women" and not to hurt Samantha’s sentiments. She added that she would "unconditionally" retract her comments if they caused any offense.
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