Telangana Congress MLA Anirudh Reddy recently spoke to the press and stated that actors like Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, and Balakrishna should undergo mandatory drug testing every 90 days, especially before releasing their films. Even as most in the film industry remained mum, Movie Artists Association (MAA) president Vishnu Manchu had a counterproposal for the politician.
Vishnu Manchu’s counterproposal for MLA
Vishnu posted a news article by Gulte with the headline ‘Heroes must take drug tests before film release’. Countering the MLA, he questioned why politicians shouldn’t be required to undergo mandatory drug testing before filing for nominations during elections. He wrote, “Good suggestion. Now just wondering — what’s the equivalent test before filing a nomination for elections? I am sure the voters would be happy to collaborate on a common framework with the respected MLA.”
What did MLA Anirudh Reddy say?
Addressing the press, MLA Anirudh seemed to believe that drug use in Telangana would go down if Tollywood stars took the lead. “It’s the public perception that the biggest drug activity happens in the film industry. I’m not saying this; the public is. So, I suggest that we should use drug kits to test actors’ follicles every 90 days,” he said.
Explaining his reasoning, he added, “Be it Balakrishna, Pawan Kalyan or Chiranjeevi, they all have fans who would listen to them over us. If they test, their fans will know their star is not a drug addict. So, we shouldn’t touch it either. They emulate everything they do, so I request everybody to test themselves.”
MLA Anirudh then claimed that he has also undergone these tests, and it must be mandatory for actors to do so before releasing films. “I have also tested myself for drugs and have proof. If they disagree, it means they might be doing drugs. I think this should be made into a rule requiring them to submit reports. Only then can their movies be released,” said the politician.
Internet reacts to MLA’s statement
The statement drew backlash, with many questioning why actors are accountable to the public rather than elected officials. “First time I really liked your statement brother..Guts pure guts,” commented one person. Another wrote, “atttttt ! anthe anna taggaku nuvvu (Don’t back down brother).”
One X user even suggested, “Want citizens to trust these politicians? Start with mandatory IT & ED raids every 6 months & public property disclosures every month. Service > personal gain.” “That’s the response we all expected from MAA president..Now happy moment,” commented a fan.
