A Pawan Kalyan-Actor Karthi Spat Over Tirupati Laddoo Row, Then An Apology

A misunderstanding between Tamil Actor Karthi and actor-politician Pawan Kalyan over a comment on the alleged adulteration of Tirupati laddoos has now come to a close. Mr Kalyan, who is the Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister and chief of the Jana Sena, has accepted Mr Karthi’s apology and wished him luck for his upcoming film, and the actor and his brother Suriya Sivakumar have thanked him. 

On Monday, Mr Karthi was attending an event in Hyderabad when he was asked to react to a few memes, including one on laddoos. With the controversy surrounding Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s allegation that animal fat had been used to make the famed Tirupati laddoos under the previous YSR Congress party government in the state still raging, Mr Karthi had said laddoos should not be discussed now because it is a sensitive topic.

Mr Kalyan, who is allied with Mr Naidu’s TDP as part of the NDA alliance in the state and at the Centre and is undertaking a ‘Prayaschitta Diksha’ (penance for atonement) over the adulteration, had taken offence to the actor’s remark.

“People are joking about the laddoo. I saw that in a film function, you said laddoo is a sensitive issue. Don’t you ever say that. Don’t you ever dare say that. I respect you as actors but when it comes to Sanatana Dharma, you have to think a hundred times before making any comment,” the deputy chief minister had said.

Mr Karthi had apologised to Mr Kalyan in a post on X on Tuesday and said that as a devotee of Lord Venkateswara – the deity to which the Tirupati temple is dedicated – he holds traditions dear. 

Dear @PawanKalyan sir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards.

— Karthi (@Karthi_Offl) September 24, 2024

Mr Kalyan responded the same day, appreciating Mr Kathi’s gesture and wishing him luck for his upcoming film ‘Meiyazhagan’. The Jana Sena chief also wished good luck to Mr Karthi’s brother, Suriya Sivakumar, who is the producer of the movie. 

“Dear @Karthi_Offl garu, I sincerely appreciate your kind gesture and swift response, as well as the respect you’ve shown towards our shared traditions. Matters concerning our sacred institutions, like Tirupati and its revered laddus, carry deep emotional weight for millions of devotees, and it’s essential for all of us to handle such topics with care,” the Andhra deputy chief minister wrote on X. 

Stating that their responsibility as public figures is to foster unity and respect, he added, “I would also like to express my admiration for you as a remarkable actor whose dedication and talent have consistently enriched our cinema.”

Thank you for your hearty wishes dear sir!

— Karthi (@Karthi_Offl) September 24, 2024

Mr Karthi responded with a “thank you for your hearty wishes”, as did Mr Sivakumar. 

Mr Kalyan is, however, still locked in a spat with actor Prakash Raj over the laddoo controversy. While Mr Raj has asked the actor-politician not to stoke communal tension, Mr Kalyan has hit out at the actor for questioning his secular credentials.