


This is in part due to Chiranjeevi’s close association with the mass film from the 1980s. For a decade and a half before the launch of Praja Rajyam Party (in 2008), Chiranjeevi’s films were interpreted as stepping stones to a political career, regardless of his own intentions. Such readings are by now a matter of habit for the media and viewers alike. This, in spite of the fact that it is a faithful remake of the Tamil hit Kaththi (AR Murugadoss, 2014) and is not custom-designed to address issues in Andhra politics.īut there is no stopping anyone from reading it as an attack on the state government or a comment on Chiranjeevi’s own political career. It is inevitable that this film will be closely scrutinised for political messages and be the subject of much speculation. Political pundits have predicted that Khaidi No 150 is part of a larger plan of Chiranjeevi to re-launch his political career. The very act of choosing one star/film over the other might acquire social and political significance, because the actors belong to different castes (Chiranjeevi is Kapu and Balakrishna Kamma) and political parties. Much of this amount is to be earned, or lost, from the Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna vehicles. This Sankranti, according to an estimate, film business worth 180 crore rupees is at stake. In fan circles and beyond, the competition between these stars had, in the past, been dramatised as a serialised battle between two “dynasties” (basically, their extended families, which include several other actors).

Balakrishna, son of former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao and Chiranjeevi’s closest competitor in the 1980s and 1990s, is now a Telugu Desam Party MLA. Balakrishna’s latest offering is the historical film Gautamiputra Satakarni, released just a day after the Chiranjeevi vehicle last week. Telugu cinema websites point out that this is the 9th time that the Megastar’s Sankranti release is pitted directly in competition with a Balakrishna film (yes, there are people tracking these occasions). Among other references to the star’s oeuvre is the “veena step” from the more recent Indra (2002).įor the thousands of fans’ associations of the star, there is another reason for getting fired up.
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In fact, the film is packed with quotations of the star’s earlier work, starting from the title, which recalls the movie that launched Chiraneevi into stardom ( Khaidi, 1983). Chiranjeevi as Kaththi Seenu reminds viewers of his memorable performances in similar roles from Donga Mogudu (1987) all the way up to Andarivadu (2006). The routine of the double, with one of the two characters being a recognisably “mass” (lower class but also vulgar) role, is a well-established feature of Chiranjeevi’s earlier work. In Khaidi No 150, Chiranjeevi is featured in the dual role of Shankar, a hydrologist-turned-activist and “Kaththi” (meaning knife) Seenu, a prisoner on the run.
