JD Chakravarthy Takes Brutal Shot at Sharwa's Theatre Worship

JD Chakravarthy has never been one to mince words, and the veteran actor didn't hold back during his latest promotional appearance for Gaayapadda Simham. Speaking at a press meet for the May 1 release, JD delivered a scathing takedown of Tollywood's tendency to romanticize cinema culture with what he calls "exaggerated statements."

The sharp remarks come just days after Sharwanand performed a sastanga namaskaram to the big screen at Sree Ramulu Theatre during Biker's promotional tour. The emotional gesture saw Sharwa declaring "Biker is my best film" before offering his prostration to the theatre "which gave me this dream".

JD's response was characteristically blunt. He dismissed the popular industry mantra that "audience are gods" and "theatres are temples," arguing that audiences behave more like "ghosts" than deities. According to the Shiva star, audiences can be highly critical, demanding, and unpredictable: they cheer one day, troll the next, and reject films without hesitation. "People within the industry remain silent, which is why such narratives continue," he observed with evident frustration.

The veteran actor questioned the logic of comparing theatres to temples, pointing out that people visit cinemas for entertainment, not devotion. His core message was clear: stop the theatrical reverence and treat cinema as what it is: entertainment business.

While JD's comments didn't explicitly name Sharwanand, the timing and context make the connection unmistakable. Sharwa's Biker has been performing solidly at the box office, completing its first weekend with strong audience response, which makes JD's contrarian stance even more provocative.

The irony isn't lost on industry observers. JD was promoting his own film while criticizing promotional theatrics. But that's vintage Chakravarthy: willing to bite the hand that feeds if it means making his point. His comments reflect a broader tension in Tollywood between authentic artistic expression and the performative aspects of film promotion that have become increasingly elaborate.

Whether audiences will appreciate JD's refreshing honesty or view it as unnecessary cynicism remains to be seen. But one thing's certain: he's started a conversation that needed to happen about the mythology we've built around cinema culture.