Nagarjuna files defamation case against Konda Surekha; film community slams minister's remarks

Hyderabad: Despite Minister Konda Surekha apologising to Nagarjuna’s family and Samantha, the Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna filed a defamation case against Surekha in the Nampally court.

Nagarjuna filed a petition against the minister for making defamatory remarks about Akkineni Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s divorce. Chaitanya shared a copy of the complaint on X.

#Hyderabad----#AkkineniNagarjuna filed a defamation case against Minister #KondaSurekha in the Nampally court, for her remarks about Samantha and Naga Chaitanya's divorce. pic.twitter.com/fNgCwpEWDj

— NewsMeter (@NewsMeter_In) October 3, 2024

According to the complaint, Surekha while speaking to the media on October 2, at the Gandhi Jayanti Program at Bapu Ghat in Langar Houz here, made defamatory statements against Akkineni’s family and Samantha.

“Naga Chaitanya’s divorce is 100 per cent due to KCR-KTR. The reason is that he (KTR) demanded that Samantha be sent to him to stop the demolition of the N-Convention Hall. Nagarjuna and his family pressured Samantha to go and when she said no, she was forced into the divorce,” Konda Surekha commented.

Controversy around N-Convention Hall

Another shocking claim made by Surekha was the allegation that BRS leader KTR had asked Samantha to be ‘sent’ to him in exchange for stopping the demolition of Nagarjuna’s N-Convention. It may be recalled that N-Convention owned by Nagarjuna was recently demolished by HYDRAA, as it was stated to be one of several unauthorised structures removed as part of efforts to protect and develop municipal parks. The convention centre, built on 10 acres of land, is located within the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone, without any building permission.

Following the minister’s comments, Nagarjuna strongly condemned the minister’s remarks asking her not to drag movie stars, who stay away from politics, to criticise her opponents. He asked the minister to respect people’s privacy. “As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately,” Nagarjuna said in a social media post.

Naga Chaitanya’s former spouse, Samantha, is a celebrated actress with a significant following. Although their marriage, solemnised in 2017 and widely covered by the media, ended in a divorce due to personal differences in 2021, both continue to be respected for their professional accomplishments and maintain a dignified public image.

“The family’s stature in the public eye remains undiminished, further enhancing the complainant’s standing as a revered figure in Indian cinema. Any attempt to tarnish this reputation through false or malicious allegations not only harms his professional legacy but also deeply affects his personal life and the high regard in which his family is held. Therefore, protecting his honour and preserving his reputation is of paramount importance,” read the complaint.

The remarks sparked a massive row, with many actors from the film industry condemning her remarks.