Ram and Boyapati Srinu’s latest release, “Skhanda,” hit theaters today, making quite a splash. The film doesn’t shy away from political satire, particularly targeting the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh. In one pivotal college scene, the hero and heroine portray political science students.
Racha Ravi, playing the hero’s friend, delivers a striking dialogue where he aspires to become a Political Analyst, indirectly referencing Prashant Kishor. He elaborates on how PK and his I-PAC team manipulated the Andhra Pradesh electorate to favor Jagan, with a subtle nod to the distribution of freebies. This dialogue received thunderous applause in theaters.
The protagonist, portrayed by Ram, goes a step further, expressing his ambition to become Chief Minister with a cynical remark about the ease of achieving it with money, booze, and even murder. His assertion that current CMs have followed this path drew chants of ‘Jagan, Jagan’ from the audience.
The film cleverly alludes to real-life political figures like Jagan and KCR, drawing parallels between the CMs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Some viewers speculate that the portrayal of CMs ruining an industrialist’s life is inspired by the infamous Satyam Rama Linga Raju case, where it’s believed that the late YSR played a role in the downfall of Raju’s business empire.
Additionally, there’s a dialogue in the second half mentioning the ‘Boom Boom’ liquor in Andhra Pradesh. In an industry often apprehensive about discussing political figures, Boyapati Srinu and Ram’s fearless portrayal in “Skhanda” sends a clear message that they have no reservations about addressing these topics.