What they didn’t know however was that the Vakeel Saab star would end up defending not just Sai Dharam Tej’s accident but also speak up for the film industry as a whole in a 51-minutes-long speech, calling out his brother, actor Chiranjeevi, and Mohan Babu in the process. Talking about why he was there, he said, “I’ve never come to any of Tej’s movie functions because I want my nephews to be independent. But I am here today because he is in a hospital due to an unfortunate bike accident at the time of this film’s release (on October 1).”
Adding that he was hurt at all the speculation surrounding his accident, he confirmed that the actor is actually in a condition far more serious than being let on by the family in the health bulletins which stated that he has regained consciousness. “It’s said he skid because he was driving irresponsibly. While I don’t believe that’s true, there are many incidents that plague this country that need to be talked about. Tej is still in a coma and hasn’t opened his eyes yet. He is not the one you should be talking about though,” he said. Madhapur police had booked cases on the actor for overspeeding and endagering lives.
The Telugu film industry has been in a state of discontent of sorts with the AP government due to ticket prices, lesser shows and 50% occupancy during the pandemic. “I never wanted to be an actor. I thought I’ll own a book or plant shop and be my brother’s bodyguard at the most. But seeing as how I work here now, I feel a sense of responsibility in speaking up,” he said, adding, “We must all get out of this complacent attitude and not allow ourselves to be bullied. If we earn in crores it’s because we have earned it. We are also some of the highest tax payers of this country.”
Wishing my dearest brother @IamSaiDharamTej,@devakatta & the entire team of #Republic all the very best! Hope to s… https://t.co/lIQjziCcs0
— Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) 1632636824000
Pawan Kalyan also went a step further stating that the film industry is a ‘soft target’ and added ‘don’t push us till we snap’. “Over one lakh people depend on this film industry every day. I don’t mind if someone gangs up on me but please speak up if the film industry is targeted. This goes for my brother too who has a soft heart, which is why he pleaded with the AP government instead of demanding. But the time to be nice has passed. I also urge Mohan Babu to speak up at a time like this. To be a silent spectator to it all will mean there’ll be no one left to stand up for you when the time comes,” he said.
