Chiranjeevi at the news conference. (AFP)

Hyderabad, Aug. 17: The cameras rolled and Chiranjeevi stepped into the arc lights. Not for a film shoot but for some real-life action.

The Telugu actor, who has starred in scores of box-office hits, announced his debut in politics this afternoon.

Seven cameras — apart from those belonging to the media — and five plasma screens captured Chiranjeevi, alias Siva Sankara Vara Prasad Konidela, as he followed in the footsteps of NTR, MGR and Shivaji Ganesan.

The release of a Chiranjeevi film is usually accompanied with the sacrifice of chicken and the breaking of coconuts. But today fans burst crackers, distributed sweets and danced to his songs outside the office of his new party in Jubilee Hills.

At 2.38pm, Chiranjeevi the politician — dressed for the part in all white — addressed his first news conference. He spoke about his desire to “serve the poor and relieve them of suffering”.

Chiranjeevi has acted in several political films, including Indra and Tagore. But now, he said, it was time to step out of the screen.

“In films, I have acted as a Robin Hood providing instant solutions. In real life, I do not want to act but strive to give people livelihood solutions.”

Quoting B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Chiranjeevi pledged to “dedicate” the rest of his life to the service of the downtrodden and work for the empowerment of the youth, women, fishermen, artisans, weavers and farmers.

Asked what drove him to take the plunge after 30 years in films, the actor said he was “moved” by two incidents.

“A home guard in Khammam had left a suicide note saying he did not want to live if he could not see me as a politician whom he could vote for. A couple working in a software firm, too, ended their lives for the same reason. These incidents disturbed me. It would have been a historic mistake if I did not fulfil their last wish.”

The actor said very few people knew that his father was a police constable who owned only five acres of land. “I have worked in the fields and done all sorts of work to earn two square meals for my family.”

Asked about the CPM’s influence on his ideology, Chiranjeevi said he was neither a Leftist nor a Rightist but a “humanist”. He said he would float a “pro-poor party” and fight for justice for Dalits and the backward classes.

The actor said he would announce the name of his party and its agenda at a rally in Tirupati on August 26, the day Mother Teresa was born.

“My mission is to transform the state into a “santosh (happy) Andhra Pradesh and chirunavvula (smiling) Andhra Pradesh.”