Forty-two years after its inception, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has faded away from Telangana. The influence of movie stars in the state has also waned since the division of the Telugu states a decade ago. During the 2023 elections, former actor Babu Mohan’s BJP campaign yielded only a modest number of votes, while Reshma Rathod aka Reshma Bai Bhukiya’s 2018 outing was even less successful. In contrast, actors continue to hold political sway in Andhra Pradesh, with stars like Pawan Kalyan, Nandamuri Balakrishna, and R.K. Roja actively involved in politics.