Politics and cinema are two different things. Artists who understand the difference and remain vigilant about the dangers of politics influencing their careers tend to stay away from it. However, some actors, often big stars, see politics as the next step for personal growth.
For such individuals, only a handful of examples like M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), Jayalalithaa, and N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) stand as successful benchmarks.
Even Amitabh Bachchan once ventured into politics but walked away, realizing it wasn't working for him. The same can be said about Chiranjeevi.
Pawan Kalyan, although still in the political fray, has yet to secure the ultimate political position of Chief Minister. While partly successful, at what cost? Political involvement alienates fans from opposite parties, confining stars to specific groups.
Take Mahesh Babu, for instance. Despite having a brother-in-law in a prominent political position, he had maintained an equal distance from all political parties. This neutrality has earned him the image of being everyone's friend, free from caste or community labels.
Even though his father, superstar Krishna, once supported Congress and made films opposing NTR, Mahesh Babu remains widely admired, even among TDP supporters, because of his apolitical approach.
Now, consider Jr. NTR. For a while, he supported TDP, but during that time, fans from other political groups distanced themselves from him. When he stepped away from politics, the TDP admirers disowned him. Had he stayed neutral, like Mahesh Babu, the story might have been different.
Allu Arjun is another example. Coming from the "mega camp," many expected him to align with their political interests. However, he made independent choices, walking out from "mega" shadow either following his heart or personal reasons. This led hardcore mega fans to disown him, while YCP supporters embraced him on social media since he supported his YCP friend from Nandyal, openly during 2024 election campaign.
Ram Charan's situation highlights similar issues. For years, the "mega camp" thrived on support from Congress loyalists and those opposed to TDP. However, with Pawan Kalyan now associating with TDP and Allu Arjun distancing himself, YCP supporters (previously Congress loyalists) have turned against the mega heroes, targeting Ram Charan’s film Game Changer.
Inviting a Deputy CM to the pre-release event added a political tone to the film's promotions, a move that alienated neutral audiences. Predictably, Game Changer received no significant support from any political group, resulting in poor openings and shocking number of empty seats in theaters, even on the first morning show—an unexpected outcome for the star of RRR.
This stark reality serves as a lesson for film stars- stepping into the shadow of any political party comes with the inevitable risk of being branded and targeted, often alienating large sections of their fan base.
Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, being senior actors, have the freedom to make decisions as they wish. However, they must recognize that their political involvement is jeopardizing the careers of the younger members of their family. Even the younger ones should realize this.
Usha Chowdhary
