It appears that the intense fan wars between supporters of Tollywood actors Junior NTR and Ram Charan have reached new heights, forcing even the Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) to clarify Jr NTR’s absence at a recent event conducted by it. At the HCA Film Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on February 24, SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus, RRR starring the two actors, bagged awards in four out of the eight categories it was nominated for. However, while Ram Charan grabbed the spotlight along with director Rajamouli, Jr NTR was conspicuous by his absence. Upset Jr NTR fans then took to social media to kick up a fuss against the HCA.
Jr NTR and Ram Charan are both top heroes in Tollywood, hailing from influential families. While Jr NTR is the grandson of veteran actor and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, Ram Charan is the son of Tollywood superstar Chiranjeevi. The duo have several times publicly expressed that they are good friends. However, this hasn’t stopped their ardent fans from going after each other and the heroes. The announcement that both actors would feature as leads in RRR took the fan wars to frenzied levels. From which hero appeared on screen first to whose name was first credited in the movie titles to each hero’s screen time, every little detail became a contest between the fans.
In this background, Jr NTR missing from the US award ceremony sent his fans over the edge. Although they were aware that he was mourning the recent loss of his cousin Tarak (who was also an actor), that did not stop them from highlighting his absence, especially since Ram Charan was dominating the headlines.
Seemingly overwhelmed by the social media fan mania, the HCA tweeted early on Tuesday, February 28: “Dear RRR fans & supporters, We did invite NT Rama Rao Jr to attend the HCA Film Awards but he is shooting a new film in India. He will be receiving his awards from us shortly. Thank you for all your love and support. Sincerely, The Hollywood Critic Association.”
Dear RRR fans & supporters,
— Hollywood Critics Association (@HCAcritics) February 27, 2023
We did invite N. T. Rama Rao Jr. to attend the #HCAFilmAwards but he is shooting a new film in India.
He will be receiving his awards from us shortly.
Thank you for all your love and support.
Sincerely,
The Hollywood Critics Association
The official HCA Twitter handle not only put out this announcement, but also clarified doubts raised by some enthusiastic fans. One of Jr NTR’s fans replied to the HCA tweet, “He’s not able to come due to personal reasons. Lost his brother week back. Not on movie shooting (sic)”. To which the HCA responded, “He was originally shooting a movie which is why he couldn’t attend. His brother passing happened afterwards and is why he stepped away from the movie. This is what his publicist told us.”
According to its official website, HCA “was created to bring together an inclusive and passionate group of voices that collectively represent a new era in Hollywood. Diversity is essential in criticism, and the HCA wants to ensure that all voices are represented within our organization.” Established in 2016, the association has over 170 critics and entertainment journalists from the United States and other parts of the globe.