Responding to the comments made by his co-star Mohanbabu, Mega Star Chiranjeevi expressed his anguish in an emotional tone.
He says, 'Earlier Dasari Narayana Rao said that we should not talk about us, but our background. As far as me, my birth place is a village. I was also brought up in a village. It sans town atmosphere. My family social status, our economic background has nothing to do with my present status, my fan following. Who gave me all this. It is the Telugu Film Industry. There are days when I eagerly awaited for a chance in films. During those days, we moved together, slept with half-filled belly. We all forgot those days because our belly is full now. Now the way of talking had a drastic change because my belly is full and I have a bank balance. Please shun that kind of attitude. Behave like the old one, where you slept with a half-filled belly. Who gave us the present status. Who is responsible for the current position and star status. It is the Telugu Film Industry. It gave us the opportunity to develop and took us in her lap. If a journalist write a half page news on us and keep a blow up photograph in it, we don't need to feel high. We know and we remember those days of half-filled belly. We should not forget our base, how tall you grow. For whom, this Diamond Jubilee Celebrations are being conducted. Does it meant to fill the pockets of someone? Who wanted to become rich with the funds of this Diamond Jubilee? We should not criticize someone and trouble ourselves. I had been to several Film Festivals in Delhi, Goa and Mumbai. But I could not find the photographs / posters of NTR or ANR at least, leave alone our photographs. That was the honour we are getting from others. So, the elders of the Telugu film industry had decided to organize a function which could be watched by the people even in Delhi and denote our status. Of course, in such a grand function, there will be a few lapses. Will there be no lapses anywhere? Will there be no hiccups between wife and husband? Father and mother? In which family such lapses do not occur. When there was a lapse in our house, shall we go to the street and shout at the person in our family. No, we try to solve it between us. Kindly don't let down our prestige before others. When the organizers told me that they want to felicitate me as a legend, I refused it politely. I know I am too small before great personalities like D Ramanaidu, K Viswanath, Dasari Narayana Rao and others. But the organizers convinced me saying that I have taken the Telugu film stamina to the Bollywood range and stood as a bridge between the old and new generations. Despite that, my soul did not agree to accept felicitation. Now I have decided to surrender the 'Legend Honour' including the shawl, medal, award and others in the 'time capsule'. Again we all including me, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Pawan Kalyan, Maheshbabu will meet at the Centenary celebrations of the Telugu film industry in 2032. If you feel that we are legends at that time, return the same to me and I will accept the award. I promise that I will continue in the film industry till that day.'
