Suresh Kavirayani
sureshkavirayani@gmail.com
Pawan Kalyan—often reserved during promotions—appeared in jovial spirits at a success meet for Hari Hara Veera Mallu, perhaps his first such public event in recent years. Despite typically skipping film promotion, he endorsed the movie continuously over four days and was present at Thursday’s success meet.
As he began his speech, he turned to host Manjusha and asked, “What is it called?” She replied, “Success meet, sir.” He laughed and said that he generally isn’t someone who attends such events but was forced to attend this time.
The actor-turned-politician apologised for being late. “I had to attend a Cabinet meeting in Vijayawada and then the rains delayed my programme here, so my apologies,” said Pawan Kalyan. The event, which was supposed to start around 4:30 pm, began only at around 7:45 pm.
He requested the event organisers to place a podium for him. “I can’t speak without a podium as I’m used to it,” he said. The actor-turned-politician, who serves as the Panchayat Raj Minister, said, “I look after all the panchayats, but now, I had to do a cinema panchayati to release this film.”
He added that even though he is now the Deputy Chief Minister, it wasn’t easy to ensure the film’s release. “There were so many hurdles for this film and I had to work through them,” he shared. “I’m not used to doing promotions and handling release issues, but for this film, I had to do it.”
He thanked Mythri Movie Makers and TG Vishwa Prasad of People’s Media Factory. “Both of them came forward to help this film release smoothly. Without their support, this film might not have seen the light of day,” he said.
He further revealed that some people wanted to boycott the film. “It felt like they had started a Quit India movement against this film. But I don’t bother about anything. If you want to boycott my film, go ahead,” said Pawan Kalyan.
The Deputy CM said he draws strength from his fans. “I never get depressed about anything because all of it is created,” he said. “I want to appeal to all my fans—be strong. If anyone talks negatively about my film, you too should respond.”
In a lighthearted moment, Pawan Kalyan asked the producer about the film’s collections. When Niddhi Agerwal responded, he quipped, “How come you are following the collections? You are an actor and you should act—not follow collections.”
“My life was never served on a platter. Nothing ever came easy to me. Even the release of this film faced many hurdles. In my 29-year film journey, this is the first time I promoted a film like this. Taking responsibility for this film gave me a strange sense of happiness,” said Pawan Kalyan.
He also commented on how school textbooks glorify Aurangzeb and ignore his cruelty. “The Mughals ruled for 200 years, but dynasties like the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Kakatiyas and the Vijayanagara Empire ruled for centuries. Yet, our rulers are barely acknowledged in history. During Aurangzeb’s reign, Hindus had to pay a tax (Jizya) just to live as Hindus. We’ve addressed that fearlessly in this film,” he said.
He clarified that the film is not about religion. “It’s about the battle between good and evil,” he said. More than collections or records, he added, “I feel proud that this film told a historical truth.”
He also shared that after watching Shankarabharanam, he developed immense respect for classical music. “This film, too, shows what cinema can achieve. Cinema is all about storytelling and inspiring audiences. On that front, Veera Mallu has achieved its goal,” he concluded.
