Actor Ram Charan joined a chorus of voices from the Telugu film industry on Thursday, condemning Telangana Minister Konda Surekha for her controversial remarks linking Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao to the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Charan, known for his role in the Oscar-winning film “RRR,” expressed the industry’s collective outrage over Surekha’s comments, labelling them as “reckless behaviour.” In a statement shared on social media platform X, he stated, “The statements made by Konda Surekha garu are irresponsible and baseless. Making vulgar public comments about respected individuals is shocking, especially coming from an elected leader who holds public office. This kind of slander aims to destroy the fundamentals of our society.”
— Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) October 3, 2024
The actor further emphasized the sanctity of personal lives, insisting that public figures deserve respect and urging industry members to uplift one another rather than engage in harmful gossip.
Surekha’s remarks, made during a public appearance on Wednesday, suggested that KT Rama Rao was a contributing factor to the 2021 divorce of Chaitanya and Prabhu, which has been a topic of public speculation. Following the uproar, both actors released statements condemning her comments as “absolutely ridiculous” and called for greater respect for individuals’ privacy.
Adding to the fallout, Akkineni Nagarjuna, father of Naga Chaitanya and a celebrated actor in his own right, filed a defamation suit against Surekha, claiming her statements had tarnished his family’s reputation.
Prominent figures from the film industry, including Chiranjeevi, Junior NTR, Mahesh Babu, and Vijay Devarakonda, also voiced their disapproval of the minister’s remarks. In response to the backlash, Surekha withdrew her statements on Thursday, stating that she had mentioned the actors in an emotional outburst related to KTR’s previous comments about her.
“I had to criticize him (Rama Rao). I do not have any personal animosity towards anyone. Taking the name of a family was inadvertent. I felt really bad after seeing Samantha’s post,” she said during a press interaction.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between public figures and the scrutiny they face, as well as the film industry’s commitment to defending its members against perceived slights.
