‘It was humiliating’: Why winning a National Award in Delhi left Chiranjeevi heartbroken

In 1988, Chiranjeevi travelled to Delhi to receive the prestigious Nargis Dutt Award for his film Rudraveena. However, the experience left him feeling humiliated and sad. At the National Film Awards ceremony, Chiranjeevi was disheartened to see only Hindi cinema legends on display, while South Indian cinema icons such as Dr Rajkumar, NT Rama Rao, and Sivaji Ganesan were conspicuously absent.

He expressed his disappointment, stating that the ceremony had projected Hindi cinema as the sole representation of Indian cinema, dismissing the contributions of other regional industries. Chiranjeevi emphasized that Telugu cinema, which had given him fame, name, and dignity, was barely acknowledged in the event. Despite the shift in the relationship between Hindi and South Indian cinema in recent years, Chiranjeevi acknowledged the pride he now feels in Telugu cinema's ability to break barriers and establish itself as a major force in the Indian film industry.