PK lights up HHVM pre-release

The Hindu

5 days ago

The city of destiny witnessed a nostalgic celebration as fans of actor-turned-politician K. Pawan Kalyan, fondly known as 'Power Star,' came out in full force to celebrate the pre-release event of his much-awaited film 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' (HHVM), at the AU Convention Centre at Beach Road on Wednesday evening. The event was filled with Pawan Kalyan charm, transporting fans back to his early days in cinema.
Marking a rare appearance solely as an actor, rather than as Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister, Pawan Kalyan kick-started the event by delivering a powerful dialogue from the film – 'Veera Mallu chepthe vinali,' energising the cheering crowd. He further delighted fans by singing folk songs from the Uttarandhra region like 'Bye Bye Eh Bangaru Ravanamma' and 'Nabo Nabo Nagari Gajulu,' which drew a thunderous applause.
As fans chanted slogans like 'CM, CM' and 'Babu la ke Babu, Kalyan Babu,' Mr. Pawan responded with a warm smile, saying, 'I will talk to you as your hero today, not as Deputy CM.' He acknowledged the love his fans have shown him since his debut in 'Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi'in 1996, despite never actively promoting his films in the past.
Mr. Pawan paid tribute to his mentor, filmmaker Dr. Satyanand, and credited him for shaping his early life and instilling cultural ethics of Uttarandhra. Recalling his training days in Bheemunipatnam during the 1990s, he mentioned about a past incident where he was restricted at Hotel Novotel by the previous government — the reason —chosing Vizag for the film's pre-release event.
Mr. Pawan described the ''HHVM'' film as a period drama, originally conceptualised by director Krish before 2018. He revealed that filming began post the 2019 elections but was delayed due to the pandemic and political developments. After Krish stepped away due to personal reasons, the project was completed under the direction of AM Ratnam's son, Jyothi Krishna, whom Mr. Pawan praised for executing the vision excellently. He also expressed gratitude to producer AM Ratnam, calling him the backbone of the film.
Mr. Pawan said: 'I want my films not just to entertain, but also to educate.' He pointed out that while history has often highlighted Mughal emperors, it has neglected many other rulers in India.'
Mr. Pawan thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for approving special fare pricing for the movie to support producers. He also thanked IT Minister Nara Lokesh for his tweet, wishing the film success.
The event was attended by lead actress Nidhi Agarwal, Oscar-winning music director M.M. Keeravani, and several other actors from the film industry.
Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao, MLAs Palla Srinivasa Rao, P.G.V.R. Naidu, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, Konathala Ramakrishna, Sundarapu Vijay Kumar, Lokam Madhavi, and others were present.