From Assembly Jibes to Warm Hugs: Revanth Softens Stance on Allu Arjun?
his is now a hot topic not only in Tollywood but also in political circles. Has Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy stepped back… or has Tollywood hero Allu Arjun? What is the message that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy sent to Tollywood at the grand Telangana Gaddar Movie Awards event held in Hyderabad on Saturday? Even though the state government has taken some tough decisions, it announced that it will fully cooperate in every way needed for the development of the film industry in the state. It is well known that the film industry plays a crucial role in Hyderabad. By stating that the government will support the industry despite tough decisions, there is talk that CM Revanth Reddy has clarified about past developments. Otherwise, some are questioning why the Chief Minister needed to say this now. In the other hand, the Chief Minister, who once severely criticized Allu Arjun in the Assembly, now warmly embraced and greeted him when Allu Arjun came to receive the Gaddar Award — as if all those past remarks were forgotten.
It is known that during the release of Pushpa 2, a stampede occurred at Sandhya Theatre where a woman died and a boy was seriously injured and still hasn’t recovered. That incident caused a major uproar at the time. It is also known that Allu Arjun was arrested and spent a night in jail. It was during that period that the gap between Tollywood and the Telangana government widened. Revanth Reddy’s strong comments in the Assembly, and Allu Arjun’s conduct outside, also became controversial. Now, no one even knows what happened to that case. Even when Pushpa 2 received the Gaddar Award, heavy criticism poured in. On the other hand, there were doubts in Tollywood circles whether Allu Arjun would come to receive the award or not.
However, Allu Arjun not only attended the awards function on Saturday and accepted the government award, but also, with the permission of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister present on stage, delivered a dialogue — "Pushpa… Pushpa Raj, I never back down" — sending a signal that he has not stepped back in any way. This too has sparked discussion. Speaking at the event, Revanth Reddy called on the film industry to work towards bringing Bollywood and Hollywood to Hyderabad. He said the government would provide whatever cooperation is needed for that. He also mentioned that the Telangana Rising 2047 Vision Document will include a chapter dedicated to the film industry. After 14 years, the Telangana government has once again initiated state film awards.
