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Pradeep Ranganathan and Sarathkumar worked together in the upcoming Tamil romantic action comedy Dude. (Credit: Instagram/@pradeep_ranganathan, Facebook/@SarathKumarOfficial)
Although people crossing the line with celebrities is nothing new, and we often come across several incidents where fans forget or bluntly ignore the concept of boundaries around their favourite stars, there have also been instances when reporters took it too far and asked inappropriate questions, irking many. While some smart and witty stars pay back in their own coin, such incidents have also escalated beyond control and ended up as ugly spats. Up-and-coming Tamil star Pradeep Ranganathan was the latest to face such an “insensitive” question.
During the promotions of his upcoming romantic action comedy Dude, a reporter claimed that Pradeep was “not hero material.” Requesting him not to take the question negatively, the Telugu reporter asked, “You don’t look like hero material. But you seem to have found success and a fan following in movies. Will you attribute it to luck or hard work?” As the Dragon and Love Today star racked his own brain to find the right words to answer that question, senior actor R Sarathkumar, who has played a key role in the movie and was present at the event, interjected and took the mic from him to provide a fitting reply.
He said, “I have been in this industry (for a long time), and I have done 170 films. You cannot say A to Z, who is the hero material. Everybody over is hero material. To look like a hero… you do not have any specifications for a hero, right? A person doing any act that benefits society is a hero.”
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Responding to the question, Pradeep said, “Hard work is there. I have been thinking over the last few months about the love I have been getting. There are a lot of talented people like me. I have seen. I think people see themselves in me. When they see the screen, they feel they are the hero. They are acting in it. They are romancing in it, they are doing the fights. So, when they see themselves in me, I am already a hero.”
While his response drew applause and whistles on the spot, the incident also went viral on social media, with Sarathkumar’s wife, actor Radhika, expressing shock that such a question was asked on a public platform. “What is this question??? Well said, Sarathkumar. Pradeep, more power to you,” she wrote on X while sharing a clip of the incident. When she posted the same on Instagram, one of Radhika’s closest friends, actor-politician Khushboo Sundar, commented, “So proud of him, Rads. Sarath is a real hero. As always, standing up for others.” Actor and dubbing artist Deepa Venkat wrote, “Here is a perfect example of how to calmly and sensibly respond without using any bad language to an extremely insensitive question at a press meet.. THIS is a real life hero you’re looking at!!! Sarath sir 👏👏👏.”
Also starring Mamitha Baiju, Hridhu Haroon, Rohini, Aishwarya Sharma, and Dravid Selvam in key roles, Dude is written and directed by Keerthiswaran and bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers. The film will hit the screens on October 17.
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