Actor Siddharth recently clarified the comments he made about actors being socially responsible, after they were taken out of context. During the press meet of 'Bharateeyudu 2' in Hyderabad, Siddharth was asked about Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's initiative to raise awareness about drug abuse. Siddharth extended his complete support for the campaign, but his statements sparked a debate online.
When asked if actors should be socially responsible, Siddharth cited the example of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who had requested actors to create awareness videos about drug abuse. The request was made in exchange for concessions such as increased ticket prices during movie releases or easier permissions for outdoor shoots.
Responding to the question, Siddharth said, "My name is Siddharth, Telugu people have seen me work for 20 years. I co-operated with the government between 2005 and 2011, held a condom in my hand, and promoted safe sex on billboards in the united Andhra Pradesh. That was me being responsible, not because a CM told me to. Likewise, every actor is socially responsible. We do things based on our conscience. Whichever chief minister requests us, we do it. No CM has by far told us like we will help you only if you do this."
Siddharth's comments generated significant discussion on social media, prompting the actor to issue a clarification. In a video message on his Instagram page, he emphasised that his remarks were misunderstood and reiterated his support for CM Revanth Reddy's efforts.
In the video, Siddharth explained, "We speak about zero tolerance in 'Indian 2 - zero tolerance about corruption, zero tolerance about drugs. My statements at the 'Bharateeyudu 2' press meet have been misunderstood by some. I want to clear the misunderstanding."
He further expressed his full support for the anti-drug campaign, saying, "I completely support Chief Minister Revanth Reddy garu and the Telangana state government in their fight against drugs. The future of our kids is not only in their hands but also in ours. It is our responsibility to safeguard their future. I am 100 per cent in with CM Revanth Reddy garu and the state governement in involving the film industry for the campaign. Till now, I have involved myself in many socially responsible initiatives. And I will continue to do that. My words in the afternoon only meant that nobody had forced us from the government and that we were doing it out of free will. So, I want to congratulate the chief minister and their government for their persistence in the fight against the drug menace. We are with you sir."
Following the press meet, Siddharth also recorded a message about anti-narcotics, further reinforcing his commitment to the cause.
The film 'Bharateeyudu 2', also known as 'Indian 2', is scheduled for a grand release in theaters on July 12.
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