Tamil actor Karthi, beloved by Telugu audiences, recently found himself in a bit of controversy during the pre-release event of his latest film Satyam Sundaram. At the event, Karthi was shown a meme related to the Tirupati Laddoo issue, and he joked about it, calling the topic "sensitive" and refraining from commenting further.

The comment quickly went viral and caught the attention of Andhra Pradesh's Deputy CM, Pawan Kalyan. Addressing the media, Pawan Kalyan expressed his concerns over how the issue was being taken lightly. He stated, "People are taking it on a lighter note. I am requesting the film industry to not be insensitive about this issue. I came across some comments from a pre-release event where the actor said that Laddoo is a sensitive issue. No, it is not correct, and don't dare to say that. I respect you as an actor, but when you speak about Sanatana Dharma, you have to think a hundred times."

Quick to recognize the potential for misunderstanding, Karthi issued a public apology on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He addressed Pawan Kalyan directly, writing, "Dear @PawanKalyan sir, 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."

Dear @PawanKalyan sir, 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.

— Karthi (@Karthi_Offl) September 24, 2024