Will Pawan Kalyan’s political remarks cast a shadow on ‘Bro’?

The heavy trolling of the actor-politician might cause some tense moments for the stakeholders of 'Bro', which is releasing on 28 July.

ByPrakash Pecheti

Published Jul 11, 2023 | 5:13 PM ⚊UpdatedAug 10, 2023 | 1:08 PM

Pawan Kalyan

Pawan Kalyan. (Pawan Kalyan/ Twitter)

Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan seems to have run into rough weather in Andhra Pradesh. He’s facing a backlash from village volunteers after his political speech during a political campaign in Eluru town stoked a controversy.

In his speech, Kalyan alleged that government-appointed village volunteers were involved in women trafficking in the state.

He further cited the National Crime Records Bureau figures. “Of 30,000 women in Andhra Pradesh who have gone missing, only 14,000 were traced. Local volunteers in the villages are given tasks to collect information on widows and women; subsequently, the data is shared with human traffickers.”

Meanwhile, AP Women’s Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma served notices on Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan demanding the latter to submit evidence within 10 days.

Against this backdrop, the Telugu film industry and Pawan Kalyan fans are seriously looking for an answer to the million-dollar question — will the political remarks made by the actor-politician against the State government cast a shadow on his upcoming fantasy-family drama Bro, which is up for theatrical release this month?

The heavy trolling of Pawan Kalyan on Twitter might cause some tense moments for the stakeholders of Bro. But will it have any impact on the movie which is releasing in theatres on 28 July?

Also Read: I did not teach Sakshi bad words in Tamil, says MS Dhoni

Diverse opinions

A single-screen theatre owner from Markapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district, on the condition of anonymity, feared that the political backlash might have an impact on Bro if Powerstar doesn’t apologise.

Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej in Bro

A poster of Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej’s ‘Bro’. (Twitter)

“But again, we can’t really gauge the situation. We can’t really link the controversy to Pawan Kalyan’s Bro. There might be fans who see the film as entertainment. But political opinions may not really have any impact on filmgoers,” he told South First.

He hastened to add: “Nevertheless, you can’t deny the fact that Pawan Kalyan’s speech has hurt a few people. This incident may further dwindle the footfall in theatres. I hope it doesn’t impact my business as Bro’s release date is around the corner.”

Another senior political film analyst, who wanted to keep his name under wraps, felt that the current political situation may not influence Bro‘s fate.

“Imagine, what if Bro opens with a positive talk at the box office? The wave might turn in favour of Pawan Kalyan, isn’t it? We can only predict after Bro is released in theatres,” he told South First.

Also Read: A glance at ongoing sequels and prequels from down South

‘Politically motivated’

A senior journalist in Tollywood told South First that Pawan Kalyan hasn’t made any direct remarks against village volunteers in the State.

“Volunteers are appointed by the State government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. They’re intended to do a certain job in helping people.”

He added, “Apparently, the ongoing trolling against Pawan Kalyan on social media looks politically motivated. The situation that Bheemla Nayak (2022) has faced previously might arise for Bro, too.”

Starring Sai Dharam Tej and Pawan Kalyan in lead roles, Bro is a Telugu remake of the Tamil original Vinodhaya Sitham (2021). Samuthirakani, who directed the original, is also helming the Telugu version.

This S Thaman musical is bankrolled by TG Vishwa Prasad under the banner of Peoples Media Factory. Ketika Sharma, Priya Prakash Varrier, star comedian Brahmanandam, and Subbaraju are playing key roles in it.

Also Read: Won’t do mass entertainers anytime soon: Telugu actor Anand Deverakonda

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