Where Was This Josh in Governance? Pawan Faces Criticism Amid Movie Hype

Jana Sena chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s film Hari Hara Veera Mallu is hitting the screens on Thursday. Unlike in the past, Pawan Kalyan is actively participating in the promotions of this film, working to build hype around it. To a large extent, he seems to have succeeded in doing so. At the same time, the opening bookings for Hari Hara Veera Mallu are also reportedly strong. This is significant because until a few days ago, there was more negative publicity around the film rather than any positive buzz. However, after the release of the trailer, the negative narrative seemed to subside. With Pawan Kalyan directly stepping into the promotion field, a fair amount of positive buzz has been generated. However, the real outcome of the movie will only be known after the special shows scheduled for Wednesday night and the early morning shows on Thursday.

Producer A.M. Ratnam had to face huge financial troubles because of this movie. The shooting began back in September 2020, but due to the COVID pandemic and Pawan Kalyan being busy in politics, there were massive delays, and the film is finally getting released only now. As a result, the producer had to bear a heavy financial burden. Pawan Kalyan himself has acknowledged this multiple times. It’s not wrong for any actor to promote their own movie. But in recent days, the energy that Pawan Kalyan has shown in promoting Hari Hara Veera Mallu was reportedly not seen from him over the past year in his role as Deputy Chief Minister — this discussion is now making rounds in Andhra Pradesh’s political and administrative circles. Even within his own party, leaders are expressing that in the one year since the coalition came to power, if Pawan Kalyan has actually worked for about three to four months, that itself would be considered significant. Apart from holding Grama Sabhas across the state once, laying foundation stones for road works in tribal villages, and attending a few inaugural events — there is no evidence of him displaying the kind of enthusiasm he is now showing for the film, they say.

He even skipped crucial Assembly sessions, cabinet meetings, and collectors' conferences. On the other hand, when the Budameru flood hit several parts of Vijayawada in September last year, after the coalition came to power, Chandrababu Naidu moved around in boats and slush overseeing relief work. But Pawan Kalyan, despite being the Deputy Chief Minister, did not even step out. There was significant criticism at the time about this. Now, a senior party leader commented that if Pawan Kalyan were to show the same energy in government programs and party matters as he is showing for Hari Hara Veera Mallu, he would be in a different league altogether. However, the same leader also added, “But I don’t believe Pawan Kalyan has that kind of patience or intensity.”