Though producer A.M. Ratnam must have been on cloud nine when he got the green signal from Pawan Kalyan to play the lead in Hari Hara Veera Mallu, that moment was more than five years ago. Since then, the highly ambitious project has faced several hurdles, including director Krish Jagarlamudi’s exit from the film and multiple production halts, mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Pawan’s political commitments. The delays were so severe that the film’s release has been postponed thrice this year itself.
The good news for the makers is that Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 is finally set to release in theatres on July 24. However, despite being a big-budget film, its promotional campaign has been quite lackluster, mainly due to the absence of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. Now, just three days before the film’s global release, Pawan finally made a public appearance at a promotional event. During this, he spoke on his previous absence and clarified that it was not due to “ego”, contrary to popular speculation.
Describing himself as a “misunderstood star”, Pawan Kalyan insisted that he has not distanced himself from the project in any way. He said that his presence now is to put an end to such rumours. Addressing the media in Hyderabad on Monday, he said, “If I have not promoted my films all these years, it is not because of ego. I find it strange to talk and promote a film for my hard work. I have always believed that if a film is good, there is no need to promote it. And no promotion can help a bad film.”
He further added, “I have never been competitive in cinema. But cinema has nurtured me, made me what I am. So I am telling you that I have not left my films. Politically, I may be a well-known name and have a presence all over the country. But when it comes to cinema, I know I am not as high as other heroes. It has its own challenges. My films may not do as much business as their films or make as much profit. My main focus has always been on politics. I have never been competitive with films. My focus has always been on social service. It is everybody’s industry.”
Pawan Kalyan revealed that he decided to break his habit and attend the press conference of Hari Hara Veera Mallu because he wanted to support producer A.M. Ratnam, who, according to him, has reached this position through hard work. The actor recalled that Ratnam was also the producer who gave him the 2001 blockbuster film Kushi.
He said, “Director Krish Jagarlamudi came to us with an extremely important story that we all loved. The film got delayed during the pandemic and later I got busy with my political career. Though Krish backed out of the film for several reasons, Ratnam and (his son) Jyothi Krishna, who took over the direction reins, worked tirelessly and ensured that the film was completed.” He further added that the climax episode with explosive action was shot in 57 days.
Nidhi Agerwal single-handedly shouldered the burden of the film’s promotions. I felt very embarrassed. This was a young actress who should have prioritised her career. Instead, she was single-handedly carrying the film forward,” the actor said.
Speaking about the future of his acting career, Pawan Kalyan commented, “Nenu Politics ki velipoina taravata, Deputy CM badyathulu thiskunna taravata, andarki… ‘Ipoyindi, inka cinemalu cheyyaaledu ittanu, ila chestadu?’ adi naku telasu kashtam aani (When I entered politics and took the responsibility of becoming the Deputy CM, everyone wondered how I could continue acting in films. I don’t even know how many films I can do) but I wanted to give my best in this film.
Also featuring Bobby Deol, Nidhi Agarwal, Nargis Fakhri and Nora Fatehi in pivotal roles, Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 features cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa and Gyan Shekhar VS, music by MM Keeravani, production design by Thota Tharani and editing by KL Praveen.
