Days after Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi stated that the casting chair does not exist and further stated that if a person faced bitter experiences, his personal choices and situations may also have contributed to it, noted singer and voice actor Chinmayi came forward to categorically dismiss his statement as false, stating that there are men who “believe that they are entitled to sexual favors from women.” He also listed certain real-life incidents, including the assault he allegedly faced at the hands of lyricist and poet Vairamuthu, to claim that such crimes did not occur because the survivors “asked for it.”
Chinmayi further shared his opinion on why stars like Chiranjeevi may believe otherwise. Stating that casting is “rampant” in show business, she maintained that women are denied roles if they are not willing to offer “total commitment,” which she said is a euphemism widely used in the film industry for sexual favors. In a long post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “Men stay in positions they believe they are entitled to, and wants Demanding and expecting sexual preferences from women.”
(Trigger warning: The following paragraphs contain descriptions of sexual assault) Recalling a real-life incident, Chinmayi revealed that a perpetrator associated with the film industry once “tried to sexually assault a musician in a studio.” Chinmayi mentioned that the victim locked herself in the sound booth for safety and said she was eventually saved by another senior professional. “She left that space after that,” said the singer. He also cited another incident in which a singer misbehaved with women and showed them cyber messages.
Directly referring to the Telugu megastar’s statement, he said, “The legendary Chiranjeevi garu He comes from a generation where everyone was friends or even family friends with their female co-artists, they respected each other, they worked with legends and they are all legends. “The MeToo movement was something that an entire generation of people couldn’t understand, and women like Sowcar Janaki even insulted women who reported their abusers.”
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He also refuted Chiranjeevi’s claim that the film industry serves as a mirror that reflects one’s character and attitude. “Vairamuthu didn’t abuse me because I asked for it. I was barely an adult after my teenage years. I respected him as a mentor, legendary lyricist, and didn’t think he was an insecure character.” older man. My mother was literally in it same premises; Anyway, he abused me. Having a father around doesn’t change anything with men like this either. Men they are believing in due “Sex for work is the problem,” Chinmayi added.
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Chiranjeevi’s controversial statement
Chiranjeevi made the controversial comments during a special event organized by the makers of his latest release. Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garuin Hyderabad on January 25, celebrating the film’s success. “This is a big industry. If some people couldn’t make it, or some say there are negative people, or someone says they have faced bitter experiences, I think it is because of them,” the Telugu megastar said.
Casting is widespread, with women being denied roles if they do not offer “total commitment”, a word that means completely different in the film industry.
If you come from an English-educated family and think that “commitment” means “professionalism”, showing up for work and being…
– Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) January 26, 2026
He added: “If you are strict and serious, no one will take advantage of you. There will be no casting. It depends on your behavior. Because of your insecurity, you might think, ‘oh, maybe this is how we should behave’. You behave professionally and the opposite person responds in the same way. This industry is like a mirror. Everything you show, it projects back.”