Published 18:02 IST, September 26th 2019
Chiranjeevi advises Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan: Don't enter politics
Chiranjeevi has advised fellow superstars from South, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth to refrain from entering politics, since he feels it is a game of money.
Actors being offered positions by political parties has been a norm since decades. Be it those going to attain immense success like NTR, MGR, Jayalalitha or those like Amitabh Bachchan, who has maintained a distance from politics for over three decades, political parties trying to utilise star power or the stars themselves taking up politics is not uncommon anymore. The latest in this category are Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. While the latter’s party Makkal Needhi Maim contested the recent General elections, the former is still working towards a grand political launch. However fellow South superstar Chiranjeevi, who also ventured into politics, feels that the duo should refrain from entering politics since it’s not ‘worth it.’
READ: 'Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy' Making: Chiranjeevi, Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Looks Massive And Grand
Chiranjeevi's advice
In a recent interview with a Telugu magazine, Chiranjeevi said that politics was a game involving money, and that’s the reason, even those with good intentions often fail. The Telugu veteran stated that he took a break from his film career when he was the ‘No 1 superstar’ to venture into politics, but despite that, he was defeated in his own constituency. The ‘Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy’ star said that his rival spent crores of money during the elections, that resulted in his loss. He added that it was the same for his brother, actor Pawan Kalyan as well.
Chiranjeevi, however, said that he had expectations that Kamal Haasan would win the elections, but that didn’t turn out that way. The actor-politician added that politics is ‘not a cup of tea’ for the ‘sensitive’. He, however, hoped that Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth are not like him, but advised them not to enter politics. Chiranjeevi added that if the two superstars were willing to face defeats and other hurdles while intending to work for the welfare of the people, they could go ahead and hope things work out in their favour.
Chiranjeevi in politics
Chiranjeevi has set up the party Praja Rajayam in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2008. In the 2009 Assembly elections, his party won 18 seats. He had won from the Tirupathi seat, but lost from Palacole. He also served as the Union Tourism Minister from 2012 to 2014. Later, however, he merged his party with the Congress, and the party flopped miserably in the 2014 Assembly elections. Chiranjeevi then was elected to the Rajya Sabha, where he served as MP till 2018. He has maintained distance from active politics since then. Chiranjeevi’s ‘Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy’, meanwhile, is gearing up for release on October 2.
Updated 18:21 IST, September 26th 2019