Sony LIV’s new political drama Mayasabha, set in the turbulent political climate of 1990s Andhra Pradesh, draws loose inspiration from landmark political events, including the 1982 confrontation between Rajiv Gandhi and then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister T Anjaiah, an episode that reshaped state politics and gave rise to the ‘Telugu atmagauravam’ (Telugu self-respect) movement.
Mayasabha series :
Shows how Rajiv Gandhi insulted Dalit Congress CM anjayya in Begumpet , got viral in media & led to birth of Telugu pride movement by TDP in 1982
4yrs 4CMs rotation & insults ,led to Indira Gandhi washed out in 1983 AP election pic.twitter.com/VpH9lXZJfz
— 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 🎀 (@vibeofswetha) August 7, 2025
Created by filmmaker Deva Katta and co-directed with Kiran Jay Kumar, the series traces the friendship-turned-rivalry between two young politicians from opposing parties, Kakarla Krishnama Naidu (Aadhi Pinisetty) and MS Rami Reddy (Chaitanya Rao). Their parallel rise to political prominence unfolds against a backdrop of party coups, betrayals, and shifting loyalties. Divya Dutta features as Iravati Basu, with production by Vijay Krishna Lingamaneni and Sree Harsha under Hitmen & Proodos Productions LLP.
The scenes show a Chief Minister summoning MLAs to a hotel to expel 35 members, before shifting focus to Naidu and Reddy’s evolving camaraderie and rivalry. The narrative culminates in a high-tension sequence echoing Chandrababu Naidu’s 1995 Ashram Hotel political manoeuvre, where key figures such as Harikrishna, Daggubati Venkateshwara Rao, and K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) were aligned with Naidu’s camp.
Mayasabha series :
Last scene of Chandrababu Naidu in Ashram Hotel scene 🏨 :
Starring : Harikrishna, Daggubati venkateshwar rao, KCR in CBN camp pic.twitter.com/KPBOsgMhbn
— 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 🎀 (@vibeofswetha) August 7, 2025
Historical Parallel: The 1982 Airport Incident
The series references the February 1982 Begumpet Airport incident in which Rajiv Gandhi, then Congress general secretary, publicly rebuked Chief Minister T Anjaiah for what he considered an ostentatious welcome. Anjaiah, a loyal Congress leader from Medak district who had risen from a labour union background to the chief ministership at Indira Gandhi’s behest, had arranged elaborate state-sponsored reception arrangements, including a hired plane, band party, and hundreds of supporters.
Rajiv Gandhi, reportedly irritated by the display, chastised Anjaiah in front of assembled party workers, allegedly calling him a “buffoon” and threatening to cut short his visit if the reception did not end quickly. Refusing garlands and departing for Tirupati without the Chief Minister, Gandhi’s public rebuke was widely covered in the media and perceived as an affront to Andhra Pradesh’s dignity.
Weeks later, Anjaiah was removed from office by Indira Gandhi. While the Congress cited municipal election losses in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada as the official reason, the airport episode was seen as a catalyst.
Rise of Telugu Desam Party
The perceived humiliation of a state leader by a national party figure became a rallying point for Telugu pride. Actor N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) capitalised on this sentiment, founding the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) later in 1982. Running on the platform of ‘Telugu atmagauravam’, NTR’s party defeated the Congress in the 1983 state elections, ending its uninterrupted rule since Independence.
Congress briefly returned to power in 1985, but NTR reclaimed the chief ministership in 1989. The TDP also became the launchpad for Chandrababu Naidu, who joined the party after losing a 1983 election as a Congress candidate. In 1995, Naidu orchestrated a political coup against NTR, forming a new government and inducting KCR into his Cabinet.
From Telugu Pride to Telangana Movement
KCR, denied a Cabinet berth after the 1999 elections and instead offered the deputy speakership, quit the TDP in 2001 to launch the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), spearheading the statehood movement. Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, with KCR’s party, now the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), dominating state politics until recently.
(With inputs from India Today)
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