While super-hero Rajnikant’s record-busting Sivaji — The Boss is creating waves among film-crazy Telugu people, it is setting off ripples in the political arena too.
The film has found an unusual fan in Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu.
He, however, is a fan with a difference or perhaps we should say, a fan with a political agenda. Mr Naidu is urging people from all platforms to watch the film.
“All of you should see Sivaji,” he urged a conference of party sarpanches held at TDP headquarters here on Sunday last.
The TDP chief has been raving about the film ever since he saw it at a special screening held by his “best friend” Rajnikant last week before it was released across the world.
“The film is an eye-opener,” said Mr Naidu, who was AP’s CM for nine years and has been in politics for more than three decades.
He was most impressed by the film’s portrayal of corruption, reign of black money and their corrosive influence on the country and its citizens.
“Whatever is shown in the film is happening exactly in this state,” he said.
While one might be skeptical of Mr Naidu getting “educated” or “enlightened” by the film considering he continues to be part of the system portrayed in the film, his agenda is clear.
He wants his party activists to don the roll of Sivaji and expose the ill-gotten wealth of Congressmen.
“Corruption in this government has reached alarming level,” he said.
He specifically targetted Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy saying he had amassed a “huge fortune” in the last three years as Chief Minister.
The Congress was quick to take objection to Mr Naidu’s comments.
‘Provoking’
Criticising him for “provoking” people against the state in the name of corruption, Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy wondered why Mr Naidu was promoting Sivaji.
“Is it because perhaps he has invested in the multi-crore film?” he asked.
“Mr Naidu is perhaps worried about its performance at the box office which is why he is promoting it,” he remarked sarcastically.