Former minister and Jana Sena Party leader Balineni Srinivas Reddy, who launched a scathing attack on his former boss, YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, at the Jana Sena rally in Pithapuram on Friday, has now revealed his long-standing ambition.
"My personal desire is to produce a film with Pawan Kalyan as the hero. As long as I am alive, I will stand with Pawan Kalyan," he declared, sparking curiosity about his connection to the film industry.
According to sources, Balineni has close ties with the industry and, during his tenure with YSRCP, frequently attended film events as a chief guest.
In December 2023, at the audio launch of the Telugu film Anna — a dubbed version of a Tamil movie — Balineni publicly expressed his aspiration to become a film producer.
He revealed that before entering politics, he had plans to produce a film with Mohan Babu in the lead and still harbors the ambition to make a high-budget film with a strong star cast.
Before the last Assembly elections, allegations surfaced that Balineni had investments in Mythri Movie Makers, a leading production house in Tollywood.
These claims gained traction during IT raids on the production house. Jana Sena leader and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation member Peethala Murthy Yadav even filed a complaint with the Income Tax Department, alleging that Balineni had funneled his illicit wealth into the company.
Additionally, he called for an investigation into the investments of Balineni’s relative, Bhaskar Reddy (father of Balineni’s son-in-law), in the film industry.
However, Balineni denied these accusations, asserting that neither he nor Bhaskar Reddy had invested even a single rupee in the film industry.
Adding to his industry connections, ahead of the Assembly elections, renowned producer Dil Raju, currently the chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation, openly campaigned for Balineni in Ongole.
In a video appeal, Dil Raju described Balineni as a dedicated politician who had won five elections and worked tirelessly for the development of Ongole.
He even disclosed that he had produced a documentary on Balineni’s political journey and urged the public to watch it.
These instances highlight Balineni's deep-rooted links with the film industry.
