Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rendezvous with actor N Tarak Rama Rao (Junior NTR) is not a one-off meeting, but part of a party strategy to use Tollywood and other celebrities in the state for its soft power. “The Home Minister hopes to visit Telangana every month and he will be meeting many more celebrities, including sportspersons, whenever he visits the city. These meetings are part of the party’s outreach efforts,” a senior BJP source revealed to TNM.
Shah’s Sunday meeting with Junior NTR lasted for nearly an hour. The actor, who was greeted by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy at the entrance of Novotel Hotel in Shamshabad, also interacted with other senior BJP leaders including Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay. After the first 20 minutes of interaction with senior leaders, Amit Shah and Junior NTR proceeded to engage in a closed-door meeting, from which other senior leaders were kept out of.
While the BJP had publicised the meeting claiming that it was arranged to appreciate the actor for the success of his latest outing RRR, sources told TNM that politics was also part of the discussion. The actor’s closed-door meeting with Shah lasted for up to 20 minutes, following which the two also headed for dinner together. Party leaders present at Novotel were given oral instructions not to indulge in any other talks with the actor, as they wanted the focus to remain on Amit Shah’s meeting.
Amit Shah and Junior NTR at the dining table (Image Credit: BJP)
TNM has also learnt from reliable sources that Amit Shah also discussed with Junior NTR the possibility of sending RRR as an Oscar nomination from India. “They discussed politics, but they wanted to keep the details away from the media,” another source said.
According to the BJP, Shah decided to meet Junior NTR as part of the party’s outreach efforts. “Telangana has a sizable Andhra population. Those from the Kamma community form a large part of this community. By reaching out to Junior NTR, the BJP is sending out a loud message to the community and those settled here in Hyderabad,” revealed a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.
Following the meeting, Amit Shah shared photos from the meeting on Twitter. He called the meeting a “good interaction” and called Junior NTR as the gem of Telugu cinema. Junior NTR responded by referring to the meeting as a “delightful interaction”, and thanking the Home Minister for his kind words.