Megastar Chiranjeevi's statements at an event provoked the ire of netizens when he drew comparisons to his home and a "ladies' hostel" in which he feels like the "warden". The Telugu actor expressed the presence of more women in his house than men while jokingly remarking about his grandchildren at the pre-release event of the film Brahma Anandam.
He added that he asked his actor son Ram Charan — who has a daughter with his wife Upasana Konidela — to produce a son next time so they'll have someone to carry their family's legacy forward.
Chiranjeevi also said he expressed concerns of Ram Charan having a daughter again. "I feel like at home I'm the warden of a ladies' hostel because I'm surrounded by ladies in my home. It doesn't feel like I'm surrounded by my granddaughters. So I keep wishing and telling (Ram) Charan to, at least this time, have a boy so that our legacy continues, but his daughter is the apple of his eye... I'm scared that he might again have a girl."
Chiranjeevi has two daughters, Sreeja Konidela and Sushmita Konidela.
Chiranjeevi's gender bias has been deemed "regressive" and "sexist" by many users who emphasised the need to change the prevalent societal mindset about girl children and keep in mind that even a daughter or granddaughter can take one's legacy forward.
Some also pointed out that a celebrity of his stature should propagate equality instead of being obsessed with a male heir and perpetuating such outdated stereotypes at public events.