It was not surprising that Vijaya Nirmala named late Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy in her speech at the Dookudu event held on Nov. 12. It is well-known that the veteran actress and her husband, Krishna, have been strong votaries of YSR's rule. After the death of the Chief Minister, Mrs. Nirmala had wept in front of tv cameras, while Krishna expressed disbelief and grief at Reddy's untimely death.

Speaking at the function, she said that Prakash Raj's role reminded her of the late leader and she wished YSR came back alive, much like Prakash Raj, who comes out of a comatose state after 15 years in Dookudu. (Interestingly, Raj's role in the movie is inspired by late PJR, a politician and a Congress leader who enjoyed mass support).

It is not as if this was the first time that either Krishna or Vijaya Nirmala made clear their loyalties known at a film function. That Krishna and his wife have been staunch supporters of the Congress since many years is too well-known. When speaking at the 100-day function of Okkadu held in the same city nearly a decade back, Krishna had spoken about politics, showering panegyrics on late Indira Gandhi.