Pawan Kalyan Says He Wanted To Quit Films In 2006: ‘The Problem With Me Is...'
Pawan Kalyan says that going forth, he wants to become a full-time politician and remain in the movies only as a producer. He now intends to 'activate' his production house.
Much conversation is happening regarding superstar and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Pawan Kalyan's retirement plans from the world of cinema. In fact, he was semi-retired from the movies when producer AM Rathnam approached him to play the protagonist in Hari Hara Veera Mallu, which is set to release in theatres today. For the unversed, in March 2014, Kalyan founded the Janasena Party and and then he continued his political career alongside his film career as an actor.
Now, Kalyan exclusively tells News18 Showsha that he indeed plans on taking a complete retirement from the movies and focus solely on helping the society as a politician. Talking about how his plans of retirement had occurred to him as early as 2006, he says, 'I'll definitely retire. I would love to retire. I never thought that I would continue to do films for this long. By 2006-2007, I wanted to quit films. I had actually thought that I'll direct five films and then quit the industry."
However, the commercial failure of his debut directorial that released in 2003 derailed his plans. 'If my first film as a director, Johnny, wouldn't have performed at the box office the way I wanted it to, I would've directed four more films, quit cinema, venture into politics and keep serving the society. I always wanted to quit cinema but the problem with me is, I didn't plan any alternate financial source. That's the only reason I had to continue doing films till now," Kalyan remarks.
Going forward, he wants to finish his acting commitments and then become a full-time politician and remain a part of the movies only as a producer. The actor has already wrapped OG and Ustaad Bhagat Singh and only has Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 2 remaining. 'I may not do more films as an actor but I want to definitely do film production. I've a production house. I never activated it but I think that now is the time. I haven't signed anything else after OG and Ustaad Bhagat Singh. I've finished all the films," he says.
Spilling the beans on the second part of his latest release, Kalyan tells us, 'I've to just give a few more days for part two and then I'll be done. Part 2 will happen soon. It has to happen. Around 20 percent of the second part of the film has already been shot. After that, I can dedicate more time for my career as a politician. Even after the shoot of Hari Hara Veera Mallu began, I had to invest more time as a politician and my film career took a backseat."
As for Hari Hara Veera Mallu, he's relieved that the film is finally out. 'It took five years for the film to finish. It gives me a sense of great relief. It feels like a weight has been taken off my chest. If my film will be shelved or even get made – I had those fears without a doubt. The burden of finance truly brings down a film," he says. It also stars Bobby Deol and Nidhhi Agerwal.
First Published:
July 24, 2025, 04:52 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Pawan Kalyan's Hari Hara Veera Mallu trimmed, poor VFX scenes removed
The makers of 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu', featuring Pawan Kalyan, have edited the film significantly after a lukewarm initial response. The film, which is jointly helmed by Krish Jagarlamudi and Jyothi Krisna, has undergone trimming to enhance the viewing experience. This decision comes five days after the film's release. It has raked in Rs 75 crore nett at the domestic box Hara Veera Mallu' team silently made the changes after middling reviews and passed them to the theatres. The climax was notably tightened, while several face-off moments and the elaborate cyclone sequences, which had poor VFX, were omitted. The revised ending now closes with Bobby Deol's line, "Aandhi Vachesindhi (Storm is coming)."The 'flag scene,' featuring a distorted visual of Pawan Kalyan's face, was removed due to negative attention. Additionally, an action sequence involving Pawan Kalyan firing arrows was subtly modified for stronger impact. Another scene trimming occurred post-interval, where sequences involving a horse ride along a cliff's edge were shortened to increase pace and retain audience engagement. Despite the film's star power, initial bookings remained modest. With the revised version now screening, there is hope that these changes could attract more cinema-goers. Viewers noted that the edits improved the pacing and overall appeal of the team behind 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' took swift action to address the feedback. Whether these changes will successfully draw larger crowds remains to be seen. The trimmed version has been screening in theatres since the film continues its run in cinemas, the effectiveness of these edits in improving viewer reception will be closely monitored. The response over the coming days will indicate whether the adjustments have revitalised audience interest in Pawan Kalyan's project.- EndsTrending Reel
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu' re-edited: Flag scene removed, climax trimmed after mixed response
'Hari Hara Veera Mallu', starring Pawan Kalyan , released recently but didn't get a strong response from the audience. To upgrade the movie, the makers have now released a new, shorter version with several scenes removed or changed. Makers decided to make changes to improve the film According to the reports of 123Telugu, it's been a few days since 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu', starring Pawan Kalyan, released in theatres. This big-budget film was highly awaited, but it didn't get the strong response everyone expected. Seeing the audience's mixed feedback, the makers decided to quickly make changes to improve the film. Director Jyothi Krishna and his team edited the film to make it more engaging. The updated version has already started playing in theatres from 27 July 2025. Some of the main changes include Some of the main changes are, first one is a scene after the interval where Pawan Kalyan and his group ride horses near a cliff has been shortened and made faster to keep the energy up. Then a scene known as the 'flag scene,' which showed a distorted image of Pawan Kalyan's face and received negative comments, has been completely removed and an action scene where Pawan Kalyan shoots arrows has been slightly changed for better effect. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn About Medicare-Covered Meals Delivered to Your Door TheDaddest Undo by Taboola by Taboola The climax has seen the biggest edits. Many dramatic face-off moments and long cyclone sequences were cut. Now the movie ends more sharply with Bobby Deol's line, 'Aandhi Vachesindhi.' Overall, around 10 to 15 minutes of the original film have been removed. Those who watched the new version during late-night shows felt that the changes made the movie flow better. These coming days will be crucial for the film's performance. Even though it stars a top actor like Pawan Kalyan, ticket bookings are still low. Whether the revised version can attract more viewers will be seen in the coming days.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Dibyendu Bhattacharya reacts to Chakda Xpress delay, calls it Anushka's best work
Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya voiced his confusion over the delayed release of 'Chakda Xpress' during a recent interview. He also expressed his admiration for actor Anushka Sharma's performance in the film. The sports biopic is based on cricketer Jhulan Goswami's life and would mark Sharma's return to the big a conversation with News18 Showsha, Bhattacharya shared, "You have no idea how eagerly I'm waiting for the release. It's a beautiful film. I saw it at (director) Prosit Roy's house, and even though it wasn't fully completed, it blew me away."advertisementThe actor was particularly impressed by Anushka Sharma's portrayal in the film, describing it as her "best performance to date." His praise adds to the intrigue surrounding the film. Discussing the delay, he further shared, "I would've told you if I had any updates. But Clean Slate is on one side, and Netflix is on the other. What's going on between them, I have no clue."'Chakda Xpress' was announced in 2022 with much excitement. The film is backed by Sharma's brother Karnesh Sharma's production house Clean Slate Filmz. The anticipation of Sharma's comeback has only increased during this period of comments, especially since he has a key role in the film, have only added to the buzz. The film's delay has not dampened the spirits of its fans and supporters, who continue to hope for a resolution that will see 'Chakda Xpress' finally hit the Sharma was last seen in the film 'Zero' alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif. On the personal front, she has reportedly moved to London with her cricketer-husband Virat Kohli and her two children- Vamika and Akaay.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Anushka Sharma
