At the ANR National Film Award - 2024 on Monday, Megastar Chiranjeevi invoked an old controversy from 2007. At the Telugu film industry's Vajrotsavam event, Chiru was to be given an award named 'Legendary Award'. Mohan Babu got onto the stage and opposed it openly.
Mohan Babu, suspending all decorum for ten minutes, wondered how the likes of Krishnam Raju, Dasari Narayana Rao and Vijaya Nirmala were not given such an award but Chiru was. It was a jab at Chiru being chosen for the title.
Chiranjeevi later walked on to the stage and delivered an emotional, angry speech, saying that he had urged the jury not to present him with such an award. "I belong to the generation of Nagarjuna, Venkatesh and Balakrishna. Don't put me on a pedestal by giving the 'Legendary Award'. Everyone knows I privately made this request," Chiru said, declining to receive the award.
After the incident, the relations between Chiru and Mohan Babu, Pawan Kalyan and Mohan Babu deteriorated for years. It's another matter that Chiru and MB have been seen sharing a healthy rapport on quite a few occasions in recent years.
