Karthi apologises to Pawan Kalyan over his remarks on Tirupati Laddoo controversy 

Tamil actor Karthi has apologised to Pawan Kalyan, the Deputy CM of Andhra Pradesh, over his comment on the Tirupati laddoo row. Pawan Kalyan had lashed out at Karthi over the latter's remark over the controversy around the temple prasad.

What did Karthi say?

On September 23, Karthi attended an event in Hyderabad during which the anchor showed a few memes, one of which was about laddoos. To which the actor reacted and said, "Ippudu laddoo gurinchi maatladakodadu (We should not talk about laddoo now), it's a sensitive topic manakoddadi (we don’t want)." The actor laughed off the matter of animal fat being used in the laddoos which did not go down well with many, including Pawan Kalyan.

Soon after, Pawan lashed out at the actor and said, "Don’t you dare say it is a sensitive issue or make jokes about the Tirupati Laddoo. I respect you as an actor, I urge everyone from the film fraternity to either support this fight or stay silent. I would request everyone to refrain from making unnecessary remarks."

On Tuesday, Karthi issued a public apology to Pawan Kalyan and wrote, "Dear @PawanKalyansir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards."

Pawan Kalyan responded to Karthi apology post and said he understood that the Ponniyin Selvan star did not make the remark intentionally. The Deputy CM of Andhra Pradesh wrote on X, "Dear@Karthi_Offlgaru,I sincerely appreciate your kind gesture and swift response, as well as the respect you've shown towards our shared traditions. Matters concerning our sacred institutions, like Tirupati and its revered laddus, carry deep emotional weight for millions of devotees, and it’s essential for all of us to handle such topics with care."

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"That said, I wanted to bring this to your notice with no intentions behind it, and I understand the situation was unintentional. Our responsibility as public figures is to foster unity and respect, especially regarding what we cherish most—our culture and spiritual values. Let's always strive to uplift these values while continuing to inspire through cinema."

"I would also like to express my admiration for you as a remarkable actor whose dedication and talent have consistently enriched our cinema."

"Wishing you, @Suriya_offl garu, #Jyotika garu, and the entire team at @2D_ENTPVTLTD a successful release of #Meiyazhagan / #SathyamSundaram. May it resonate with audience and bring joy to many (sic)."

Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan is observing an 11-day-long prayaschitta diksha, a purification ritual.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu previously accused the usage of substandard ingredients, including fish oil and beef tallow, in the ghee used to prepare Tirupati laddooprasadams during Jagan Mohan Reddy's administration. Recent lab reports have confirmed the presence of animal fat in the laddoos whichled to the cancellation of contracts with companies supplying ghee to the temple.