The two heroes who attended the TSR awards function had expressed no friendliness apart from a formal shake hand. Though Balayya received award for the Sri Rama Rajyam film, he has not mentioned about Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who portrayed the character of Valmiki in the film. This is being discussed in the film industry.
Nagarjuna is said to be angry with the TDP as the party has started targeting him and his business ventures. Though Nagarjuna had no direct dealings with Jagan, his proximity to Nimmagadda Prasad, who is in Chanchalguda jail in connection with the Vanpic project, is being considered as closeness to Jagan, by the TDP. As Nimmagadda is a major investor in Jagan’s companies, Nagarjunna is being targeted by all the leaders of the TDP. It is learnt that Nagarjuna was hurt that Bala Krishna was doing nothing to control TDP’s tirade against him. This has virtually made both of them enemies.
Unconfirmed reports said that Nagarjuna had also invested in the Vanpic project. As he has been regularly visiting Chanchalguda jail, there is a discussion in political as well as film circles that Nagarjuna also invested money in the Vanpic project.
It is in this backdrop that the TDP started a vigorous tirade against Nagarjuna, embarrassing him.
Nagarjuna had given clarification that no irregularities were committed by the Akkineni family for constructing the Annapurna studio. He said though the land was offered to his father free of cost for developing the studio, they had purchased it on government prescribed rate. He also explained that they had spent a lot of money and toiled to pound the hills given to them to construct the studio at the place. He said when the studio land was allotted to them, there was nothing excepting the studio there and it was not a prime land.
Despite being pioneer of the film industry and the main person who played key role in shifting the industry from the then Madras to Hyderabad, Akkineni and his family being targeted by the TDP is worrying Nagarjuna. This is the reason why he has been averse to talk to Bala Krishna say film industry sources.