Telangana minister Konda Surekha sparked a row with her derogatory statement about the divorce of actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya. The film fraternity is condemning her comments.
Actor Junior NTR was amongst the first few celebrities to call out Surekha for her comments. He said that dragging personal lives into politics is a ‘new low’. He shared his statement with the hashtag – #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate, which went trending online.
“Konda Surekha garu, dragging personal lives into politics is a new low. Public figures, especially those in responsible positions like you, must maintain dignity and respect for privacy. It’s disheartening to see baseless statements thrown around carelessly, especially about the film industry. We will not sit quietly while others make baseless allegations against us. We should rise above this and maintain respect for each other’s boundaries. Let’s ensure our society does not normalize such reckless behavior in democratic India,” the ‘Devara’actor posted on X.
Allu Arjun wrote:
“I strongly condemn the baseless derogatory comments made about film personalities and film families. This behavior is deeply disrespectful and goes against the values of our Telugu culture. Such irresponsible actions should not be accepted as normal. I urge the parties involved to act more responsibly and respect individual privacy, especially towards women. We must promote respect and dignity in society as a whole.”
Former Union Minister and senior actor K Chiranjeevi wrote:
“We as Film Industry stand united in opposing such vicious verbal assaults on our members. No one should stoop to this level for scoring political points by dragging unconnected people and more so women into their political slug fest and make distasteful fictional allegations. We choose our leaders to make the society a better place to live in, and not contaminate it by lowering the discourse. Politicians and people in honourable positions should set better examples. Trust the concerned will make amends and withdraw these malicious remarks immediately.”
Veteran actor Venkatesh Daggubati wrote:
“It deeply saddens me to see a personal situation being used as political ammunition. It is unfortunate that someone in a position of responsibility has chosen to weaponize a private matter for political gain.”
“Our cinema family is built on mutual respect, hard work, and immense dedication to our craft and our personal lives. Public figures have an ethical duty to maintain dignity in public discourse. Dragging private lives into the political arena serves no one and only adds to the pain of those involved.”
“I urge people in such important leadership positions to exercise restraint and empathy. Let's be reminded that our actions and words carry weight—let's use them to uplift, not to tear down.”
Actor Varun Tej Konidela wrote:
“I strongly condemn the harsh and unnecessary words spoken by Minister Konda Surekha garu. Targeting a family, especially speaking ill of a woman, is unacceptable. As part of the film fraternity, we will not tolerate this kind of behavior. Using film personalities and their families as soft targets for political vendettas must stop. Focus on progress and development but not on such nonsense.”
Official Statement from Movie Artists Association (MAA):
“In light of the recent unfortunate comments made in the public domain, I feel it is important to address the pain caused to the families involved. Our industry, like any other, is built on mutual respect and trust, and it is disheartening to see how false narratives being used for public or political gain.”
“As artists, we are no strangers to public attention, but our families are private, and they deserve the same respect and protection as any other family. Just as no one would appreciate their own loved ones being targeted or their personal lives dragged into baseless allegations, we too demand for the same dignity to be extended to us.”
“I humbly appeal to all leaders, politicians, and people in positions of influence to refrain from using the names of actors and their families for political narratives or attention- seeking headlines. We, as a film fraternity, work hard to entertain and contribute to society, and it is my earnest request that personal lives be left out of public discourse.”
“Let us respect one another, not just as professionals but as human beings. Families are sacred, and the pain caused by false narratives is immense. I trust we can all agree that such actions only create division and hurt.”
“On behalf of the entire industry, I request that the families be spared from such unwarranted and harmful attention. I personally will not be a mute spectator if anyone tries to harm my film fraternity. We will not tolerate any such abuse. We are united in this. – Vishnu Manchu”
Actor Nani wrote:
"Disgusting to see politicians thinking that they can get away talking any kind of nonsense. When your words can be so irresponsible it’s stupid of us to expect that you will have any responsibility for your people. It’s not just about actors or cinema. This is not abt any political party. It is not okay for someone in such a respectable position to talk such utter baseless rubbish infront of media and think that it is okay. We all should condemn such practice which will reflect poorly on our society."
Director Ram Gopal Varma wrote:
"I was shocked by Konda Surekha's comments which insulted Nagarjuna's family in the most horrible way. Dragging the most respected Nagarjuna family on the road in the middle of taking revenge on his political rival should not be tolerated."
