At his latest event in Hyderabad on January 25, veteran Telugu actor Chiranjeevi stirred up controversy with his comment that there’s “no such thing as casting couch” in the industry.
Chinmayi Sripada takes shots at Chiranjeevi
Singer Chinmayi Sripada didn’t let that slide, she jumped on X and posted a detailed response.
Chinmayi didn’t mince words. She said the casting couch is everywhere, and women lose out on roles if they don’t give “full commitment”, which, in the film world, has a very different meaning.
She also pointed out that Chiranjeevi comes from a different time. Back then, he and his female co-stars were friends, sometimes even like family. There was mutual respect, and they all worked with legendary figures. In her view, things have changed.
Casting couch is rampant, women are refused roles if they don’t offer ‘full commitment’ – a word that means completely different in the film industry.
If you come from an English educated background and believe ‘commitment’ means ‘professionalism’, showing up to work and being…
— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) January 26, 2026
When Chiranjeevi said the Telugu film industry is a “mirror” that reflects “who you are,” Chinmayi pushed back. She argued that these days, women from around the world often highly educated, with broader perspectives want to join the industry. That doesn’t mean the industry simply reflects their character or choices.
Chinmayi also opened up about her own experience. She said, “I didn’t get molested by Vairamuthu because I was asking for it. I was barely out of my teens, and I looked up to him as a mentor and a legendary lyricist. I never thought of him as a threat, and my mother was in the same building. He molested me anyway.”
Back in 2018, during India’s #MeToo movement, Chinmayi called out lyricist Vairamuthu for sexually abusing her during a concert in Switzerland in 2005.
After she publicly supported other women, naming Radha Ravi, president of the dubbing union, she was removed from the South Indian Cine, Television Artistes and Dubbing Artistes Union.
What did Chiranjeevi say about casting couch?
At the Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu event, Chiranjeevi, now 70, pushed back against talk of a casting couch in the Telugu film industry.
“There’s no such thing as a casting couch here,” he said. “It really comes down to how you carry yourself. If you’re confident and act professionally, people treat you the same way. Don’t let doubts or insecurities get in your head.”
He went on, “This industry is like a mirror. You get back exactly what you put in. If you’re thinking of joining, come with real determination courage, resolve, and hard work matter most. This is a good industry. Anyone can do well, whether you’re a girl or a boy.”
Chiranjeevi said kids, boys and girls should get every chance to succeed in film. “If someone says they didn’t make it, or that the people here are negative, or they had a bad experience, honestly, I think that’s on them. If you’re strict about your boundaries and serious about your work, nobody tries to take advantage of you.”
Chiranjeevi’s most recent film, Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu, hit theatres on January 12, 2026. The cast also includes Nayanthara and Venkatesh Daggubati.
