Santosham Awards fiasco: Allu Aravind distances from event; organizer Suresh tenders apology

Hyderabad: Santosham South Indian Film Awards has stoked a major controversy.

Organized by a reporter and self-proclaimed PRO of Chiranjeevi and the Mega family, Suresh Kondeti, the event held in Goa left many social media users fuming.

Accusations of disrespect towards certain celebrities and mismanagement at the awards show led to public outcry, with blame directed at the Telugu film industry and the Mega family.

Alleged Incidents:

A reporter claimed that during the event in Goa, several Kannada celebrities were disrespected, leading to an abrupt halt in proceedings. Lights were switched off when Ramesh Aravind took the stage, prompting the anchor to leave and urging Kannada actors to depart. Many celebrities had to face problems during hotel check-outs due to unpaid bills.

Public Outcry:

Netizens expressed anger and outrage for allegedly disrespecting the Kannada film industry. Calls for a boycott of future events and a plea for the industry to voice its concerns were trending on social media.

Allu Aravind's Response:

In response to the controversy, producer Allu Aravind, father of Allu Arjun and brother-in-law of Chiranjeevi, distanced the Mega family and the Telugu film industry from the awards show. He emphasized that the responsibility for the event lies solely with Suresh Kondeti. "It is not right to drag us into this. Our family has nothing to do with him, and blame cannot be placed on Tollywood," he said.

Suresh Kondeti's Apology:

Suresh Kondeti issued an apology, acknowledging a communication gap during the Goa event. He clarified that it was not his intention to cause trouble. He apologized for any inconvenience caused and explained that challenges arose during the accommodation distribution for around 1200 celebrities, emphasizing the unintentional nature of the mistakes made.

As the controversy unfolds, the Santosham South Indian Film Awards face scrutiny with the public and industry stakeholders seeking accountability for the alleged disrespect and mismanagement during the event.