In keeping with his longstanding fondness for hugs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, June 12, enveloped Telugu actor Chiranjeevi and Jana Sena party chief Pawan Kalyan at the new cabinet’s swearing in in Andhra Pradesh. Modi’s long hug for the brothers was punctuated with constant pats on their backs. The spectacle received thunderous applause from the crowd, among whom the brothers ‘Megastar’ Chiranjeevi and ‘Power Star’ Pawan Kalyan, enjoy much adulation.
The entire scene that spanned a whole minute, took place at the oath taking ceremony of the new cabinet post the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP victory in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Holding hands, PM Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu were engrossed in what appeared to be pleasant conversation, when Pawan Kalyan walked up to the Prime Minister and seemingly requested him to meet his brother.
With his left hand firmly secure in Naidu’s grasp and his right shifting to Pawan Kalyan’s palms, the Prime Minister heeded Kalyan’s request and walked towards Chiranjeevi, an actor well known for essaying roles promoting social consciousness in cinema.
The trio – PM Modi, Pawan Kalyan, and Chandrababu Naidu – walked towards Chiranjeevi. The latter extended his arm to the PM standing in front of BJP leaders Amit Shah and Venkaiah Naidu, thus overshadowing them.
In the second act, PM Modi walked towards the end of the dais, with Chiranjeevi firmly secure on his left and Pawan Kalyan on his right. The PM basked in reflected glory as the crowd went berserk. While the PM hugged the brothers, Chiranjeevi even touched Kalyan’s cheek.
It is worth noting that the PM’s camaraderie with the famous Telugu actors, played out for the crowd, is likely to help BJP’s attempts at making inroads into the Andhra Pradesh electorate.
PM Modi’s affection for Chiranjeevi is not newfound. The popular actor was one of the few Telugu cinema celebrities who was invited for the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in January 2024. The actor was also a recipient of the Indian government’s Padma Vibushan and was specially invited in July 2022 by PM Modi, to attend the unveiling of Telugu freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju’s bronze statue in Bhimavaram, which is where Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan hail from.