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Updated 26 May 2025 at 20:42 IST

Pawan Kalyan's Hari Hara Veera Mallu Bears The Brunt Of Theatre Bandh? Dil Raju Issues Clarification, Calls It ‘Miscommunication’

Dil Raju discussed the Theatre Bandh issue during a press conference in Hyderabad on Monday. He described the controversy surrounding Pawan Kalyan's Hari Hara Veera Mallu as a case of 'miscommunication.'

Reported by: Khushi Srivastava
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Pawan Kalyan said Tollywood stakeholders are being disrespectful towards the state government
Pawan Kalyan said Tollywood stakeholders are being disrespectful towards the state government | Image: X

Pawan Kalyan starrer Hari Hara Veera Mallu has been under scrutiny since reports emerged about exhibitors in the Telugu states considering a theatre bandh starting June 1. The matter escalated after Pawan Kalyan allegedly criticised the film industry for showing a lack of respect towards the Andhra Pradesh government. In response, the bigwigs of industry have rushed to address the situation. Recently, Dil Raju clarified the matter, describing the controversy as a "miscommunication."

Dil Raju on theatre bandh controversy

According to Live Law, Dil Raju, the producer and Chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation, discussed the issue during a press conference in Hyderabad on Monday. He described the controversy as a case of miscommunication and clarified that the bandh talks initiated by East Godavari exhibitors on April 19 were about revenue models, not an attack on Hari Hara Veera Mallu(HHVM).

He explained that the film was not targeted, stating, “The release date of HHVM wasn’t even fixed when this began.” He acknowledged, “Kalyan garu is justified in his anger, but this narrative has been blown out of proportion. The chamber should’ve clarified things earlier. The media also escalated the issue with misleading headlines.”

Raju expressed concern about the lack of unity within the industry, remarking, “Ideally, Allu Aravind garu and I should’ve addressed this together. Unfortunately, there’s no unity in the industry right now.”

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Why is Pawan Kalyan angry with Tollywood producers?

On Saturday, May 24, Pawan Kalyan sharply criticised the film industry's lack of engagement with the government. As per Live law, he said, "At a time when the government is considering giving industry status and improving conditions for filmmakers, the industry doesn’t even show basic respect or gratitude." He pointed out that no one from the film chamber had met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu since he took office.

While he didn’t explicitly comment on the proposed bandh, the potential impact on his film's release was evident.

The controversy grew stronger after producer Allu Aravind including other stars publicly supported actor-politician Pawan Kalyan and criticised the proposed bandh. Allu Aravind termed the film industry representatives not meeting with AP CM Chandrababu Naidu as a “mistake”. Naga Vamsi said that the industry’s lack of unity and common sense is the reason behind avoidable conflicts blowing up into serious issues. Bunny Vas acknowledged Pawan Kalyan's frustration and pointed out the lack of unity among the producers.

Two weeks earlier, the exhibitors’ association announced a bandh for single-screen theatres in the Telugu states, set to begin on 1 June. The discussions revolved around demands for reforms in the revenue-sharing system between theatre owners and producers. However, the proposed shutdown, coinciding with the release of Pawan Kalyan’s long-delayed film Hari Hara Veera Mallu (HHVM) on 12 June, led to allegations that the film was being deliberately targeted.
 

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Published 26 May 2025 at 20:28 IST