Megastar Chiranjeevi’s announcement that he would only do “educative” and “well-intentioned” films in the future has been taken with a pinch of salt by the film fraternity. Truly, Chiranjeevi has not been like other actors who have prepared their way to politics through carefully crafted films.

As such, film buffs and industrywallahs can cite only one “educative” film which he has done so far—Rudraveena. Directed by Mr K. Balachander, the film propounded strong messages against evils such as caste discrimination, illiteracy and alcoholism. It also highlighted self reliance and gram swaraj. The protagonist played by Chiranjeevi hails from an orthodox Brahmin family but marries a Dalit woman to herald social change in his village. Chiranjeevi’s brother Nagababu produced this well-meaning film.

Despite receiving critical acclaim and getting a national award, the film bombed at box office. This happened in 1990. Chiranjeevi the actor learned lessons from this “educative” endeavour and went only for full-scale commercial fare after that, including his last film in 2007, Shankardada Zindabad. One of his blockbusters Tagore had a theme against corruption but nobody would dare to call the masala entertainer an educative film.

Though Chiranjeevi seems to have decided not to wear greasepaint for the time being, there have been complaints that his press conference the other day was also ‘enacted’. Some friendly scribes asked the ‘right’ kind of questions to the superstar, enabling him to wax eloquent on his humble life as a youngster and also to utter some punch dialogues. “I am a humanist rather than leftist or rightist,” said Chiranjeevi, in a tone that would evoke instant applause in a cinehouse. But it would be good if the superstar understands that future press meets are not going to be like this. Reporters would be grilling him on all issues and there would not be many opportunities for punch dialogues.