A crude remark about M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) made by Telugu actor Rajendra Prasad at an awards ceremony in Hyderabad has triggered a wave of condemnation from the Tamil film industry, with South Indian Artistes’ Association President Nasser publicly demanding an apology.
Rajendra Prasad made the comment at the Kala Prapoorna Kantha Rao National Award 2025 ceremony while praising the box office legacy of veteran Telugu actor Kantha Rao. He claimed that even MGR “used to wet his pants” at the sight of Kantha Rao’s popularity, and repeated the phrase three times on stage.The video surfaced on social media shortly after and drew immediate backlash.
Telugu Actor #RajendraPrasad‘s remark claiming that even Puratchi Thalaivar #MGR used to wet his pants because of #KanthaRao‘s success is highly disrespectful and unnecessary. While appreciating the achievements of a legendary actor like Kantha Rao is perfectly valid, doing so by… pic.twitter.com/N7szt8fr1D
— Harish M (@chnmharish) March 12, 2026
Among the first to publicly speak up from the Tamil film industry was actor-producer Vishal, who took to X to condemn the remarks. He wrote that while honoring Kantha Rao was a welcome gesture, pulling down a legend like MGR was not acceptable and was hurting Tamil sentiment. He called on Rajendra Prasad to issue a formal apology.
Shocking and repelling to see and hear the recent comments of senior actor Shri Rajendra Prasad, senior actor of our Telugu film industry at a recent function.
Dear Sir, with utmost regards and at the same time with a heavy heart, I pen down this tweet condemning your speech…
— Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) March 12, 2026
South Indian Artistes’ Association President and Actor Nasser followed with a video statement. Nasser said he was hurt by the comment and reminded Rajendra Prasad that MGR was not just an actor or entertainer but a great leader who governed Tamil Nadu for over a decade. He added that he was speaking as a member of the film fraternity, not in his official capacity, and asked for a heartfelt apology.
Veteran Tamil producer Keyaar went a step further, questioning the factual basis of the remark itself. He said that M. G. Ramachandran belonged in the same league as N. T. Rama Rao in Telugu cinema and Dilip Kumar in Hindi cinema, and that Kantha Rao, respected as he was, did not operate at that level. He added that he had never come across any evidence suggesting MGR was ever threatened by Kantha Rao’s rise, describing the claim as a product of Rajendra Prasad’s imagination.
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In the 1960s, Kantha Rao was one of the top actors in Telugu cinema, alongside N.T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and was known for his sword-fighting roles and portrayals of mythological characters like Krishna, Arjuna and Narada. He appeared in more than 400 films over his career and earned the nickname “Kattula Kantha Rao” for his swashbuckling on-screen presence.
To understand the scale of the reaction, it helps to know who MGR was and what he means to Tamil Nadu.
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, was an actor, director, filmmaker, and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987. He acted in 136 films, founded the AIADMK party, and was elected Chief Minister three consecutive times. After his death in 1987, the central government posthumously awarded him the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor.
