It’s road rage of a different kind with emotions running high and accusations flying thick and fast. HNN tells you what the screen gods are screaming in their road shows.
Stepping out of the cool confines of their luxury homes, Tollywood's stars are braving the heat and the dust to hit the road like never before. The last time one saw such fervent political campaigning was during the time of the legendary NTR. Now Chiranjeevi seems to have revived the trend. With more Tollywood stars joining the fray, it looks like everyone wants to take the 'road to success', because unlike expensive rallies, these shows get campaigners closer to the voters and it is also cost-effective.
Following the overwhelming response to Chiranjeevi's road shows, Balakrishna too felt the need to sweat it out in the rocky terrain of Rayalaseema. He even took a break from his new untitled film with Priyamani to garner support for the Telugu Desam Party. The seasoned actor declared at his road show. "I personally assure all of you that TDP would implement all its promises," he announced after shooting an arrow from his bow presented by his followers. Obviously, we can't overlook his target? "I am ready to take on Chiranjeevi," he thundered.
The huge response for the Nandamuri scion is misleading even seasoned political pundits. "It is becoming difficult to gauge the mood of the voters in this region. Few weeks ago, Chiranjeevi also drew unprecedented crowds and now Balakrishna has similar response," says a political analyst, who is also reluctant to overlook the clout of Y S Rajasekar Reddy in the Rayalaseema region.
Chiranjeevi's successful road shows in the CM’s domain had given the ruling party a fright, so much so, the government sought a ban on it, but the High Court restored it to give a fillip to the star's campaign trail. Undeniably, the unprecedented success prompted Chiranjeevi to declare "God willing, if I become the Chief Minister…,".
What came as a surprise in Chiru's campaign was starbrother Pawan Kalyan taking a break from his whirlwind road shows to marry Renu Desai.
Obviously, Pawan needs to adopt divergent strategies in reel and real-life roles. In his next film Kumaram Puli, he mows down rivals with an iron hand, while in real-life he needs to replace action with rhetoric. He minced no words to brand Congress as corrupt.
Star son Ram Charan Tej says that the primary reason for hitting the roads is –– “to connect with people and understand their problems better. My dad and uncle received unprecedented response. Our success has inspired many but we are far ahead,” says the actor, who describes his singing for a promotional song for his party as a 'small contribution'.
Though Balakrishna discounted the impact of C factor in state politics, practically it is difficult to overlook his presence since he is expected to dent established vote banks. With the starturned-politician adding 'populism' to his 'charisma', he has made the 'three-cornered' contest a grand gala fight.
Chiranjeevi initially was diplomatic but he has now taken an aggressive stance. He made sarcastic comments against unholy alliances and ridiculed the ruling party. "This aggressive mood jells with his fiery onscreen persona," says Sanjay, a fan.
Following in the footsteps of the Tollywood biggies are the other stars. We hear that NTR jr, Rajsekhar, Raja, Roja, Jayasudha, Vijayashanti and Sarada, are set to hit the roads for their respective parties. If that happens, the studios are bound to wear a deserted look.
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