Opinion: How Chiranjeevi's Strength Became His Hurdle

When the promo of the song “Meesala Pilla” was released, I saw some trolls online and even heard people around me saying that Chiranjeevi is not upgrading himself like Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Mammootty, and Mohanlal, who are now choosing roles that suit their age rather than playing youthful characters chasing women and dancing.

At that moment, I agreed with their opinion.

But today, after watching the full lyrical video of the song, I’ve changed my mind, and I have a reason.

We all know that Chiranjeevi has been an electrifying dancer for the past 47 years. Generations have enjoyed his dance. His unique selling point (USP) has always been his dance, which kept him at the top among his contemporaries. Readmore!

Of course, his comedy timing, fights, and performance skills are remarkable too, but they all come after his unbeatable dancing talent.

When Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Mammootty, and Mohanlal act according to their age, there is no demand from their fans for dance, because that was never their core strength.

Rajinikanth is known for his signature style, like flipping a cigarette or wearing sunglasses, and those do not depend on age.

But for someone like Chiranjeevi, dancing with grace requires a love track and some youthful energy. To deliver that, he has to “age down” himself and play characters younger than his real age. Because without dance, which is his strongest USP, Chiranjeevi feels incomplete.

Audiences simply cannot separate Chiranjeevi from dance.

So, while dance and humor are his greatest strengths, they have also become the very hurdle that limits him from shifting gears into age-appropriate roles.

Chiranjeevi has, in fact, tried several times to take up roles that match his age. But fate, or perhaps fan expectations, keep bringing him back to dance, because that is what people want to see.

Coming to “Meesala Pilla”, I thoroughly enjoyed his graceful moves and captivating steps. I only wish to see Chiranjeevi dancing for many more years to come.

Even if, at some point, it becomes physically difficult for him to dance, I hope technology can help, so that Chiranjeevi will forever be remembered as the Dancing King, the God of Masses, and the ultimate entertainer for families.