Pawan Kalyan shuts down nepotism allegations in Telugu cinema, says the industry is open for all

Telugu cinema has often been accused of being a family-centric industry where the power centres are restricted to few influential names. At the same time, one can’t deny how it has given space for Ravi Teja, Nani, Nikhil Siddhartha, Vishwak Sen and others to flourish. Pawan Kalyan at his film Bro’s pre-release event didn’t subscribe to the idea that Telugu cinema belongs to a few families.

While addressing his speech to his nephews and actors Sai Dharam Tej, Varun Tej, Vaishnav Tej, he took the stage to express that the industry doesn’t belong to their family or one person alone. The industry is accessible to everyone, Pawan Kalyan asserted. “The doors to cinema and politics are open for all,” he said.

Justifying his claim, he reminded crowds how his elder brother Chiranjeevi came from a lower-middle class family and attained ‘mega’ stardom in the industry without any Godfathers. He revealed he had no ideas to settle down in cinema and that he was scared when Chiranjeevi asked about his interest to act. “I only saw Chiranjeevi, NTR, ANR, Krishna as heroes.”

Pawan Kalyan shared his initial intention was to do a small job for livelihood and work on fields and said he had no desires beyond that. It was his sister-in-law Surekha (wife of Chiranjeevi), who compelled the former to enter films. When he was asked to dance on a double decker bus in Vizag for Suswagatham, the star remembered he felt awkward and that he complained to his sister-in-law about it.

“It was a mistake she made that I’m here before you all. I can’t blame her enough for it. I only had one thing in mind, to work 10 times more than Chiranjeevi and take anything for granted,” Pawan Kalyan stated. He called himself a stubborn man and a farmer at heart who would work hard regardless of the task he was given.

He asked his nephews Vaishnav, Sai Dharam Tej and Varun not to take any of their fame for granted. Actors need to work hard, accept highs and lows. “We may have issues amongst us, but we’re all striving hard to entertain you. When someone like us with ordinary backgrounds can do it, why can’t anyone else?” Pawan Kalyan asked.