Chiranjeevi Clarifies His Role in AP Ticket Price Hike, Responds to Balakrishna's Remarks

Megastar Chiranjeevi has officially responded to the recent comments made by fellow actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. In a detailed press statement issued from abroad, Chiranjeevi provided his account of the events that led to the crucial meeting with the then Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, regarding a hike in movie ticket prices.

Chiranjeevi stated that he took the initiative to mediate with the state government after repeated appeals from various stakeholders in the Telugu film industry. He explained that Minister Perni Nani facilitated a direct connection with the Chief Minister's office, which resulted in a personal lunch invitation.

According to the Megastar, he made concerted efforts to include Balakrishna in the delegation. He revealed that after several unsuccessful attempts to contact Balakrishna directly, he tried to reach him through mutual contacts like producer Gemini Kiran. When these efforts did not yield a response, Chiranjeevi proceeded to Vijayawada with other industry representatives, including producer R. Narayana Murthy.

Chiranjeevi emphasized that this meeting was ultimately successful, leading the government to approve a ticket price hike. He highlighted that this decision provided significant relief to the entire film ecosystem—producers, distributors, and theater owners—and was a key factor in the strong box-office performance of subsequent big-ticket films like his own "Waltair Veerayya" and Balakrishna's "Veera Simha Reddy."

Concluding his statement, Chiranjeevi firmly rejected any notion of acting under political pressure or for personal gain, asserting that his actions were motivated solely by the welfare of the Telugu film industry as a whole.