Pawan Kalyan recently released Hari Hara Veera Mallu, his much-awaited film. As the Deputy Chief Minister, there's nothing wrong in doing films alongside politics.
After all, Suresh Gopi, a Union Minister and Malayalam star, also released his film recently—without mixing politics into promotions. In contrast, Pawan’s film promotions have drawn criticism for political overtones.
Pawan included dialogues like “Aandhi (Toofan)” after Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him during the elections. While he also promoted Sanatana Dharma — a part of his political ideology — that in itself wasn’t an issue.
However, during pre-release events, his speeches indirectly provoked the YSRCP by claiming that previous films were hindered by their government.
In response, leaders like Ambati Rambabu reviewed the film publicly — something that also seemed out of place. Both sides acted unnecessarily, blurring lines between cinema and politics.
Adding to the drama, leaders like Nadendla Manohar and Kandula Durgesh discussed rallying party support for the film. But a film's success comes not from political backing, but from its content and audience reception.
The movie's initial collections were strong, largely due to Pawan's active promotions. Had he stayed away, the film might not have seen even this brief success, despite its sharp decline in box office numbers after day two.
In the end, Pawan should have stuck to discussing the film during promotions instead of bringing in political grievances. Still, his presence did help boost the film’s early performance; a fact that even critics cannot deny.
However, the present collections convey that no support from external sources would extend its life in theatres.
Usha Chowdhary
