Vijayawada, July 24 (IANS) Festive spirit gripped theatres across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as Tollywood actor Pawan Kalyan’s much-awaited period action-adventure “Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1” hit the screens on Thursday.

This is the first movie of Pawan Kalyan after he became Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh last year.

There were celebrations by the fans of the ‘power star’ outside theatres. Carrying posters of their favourite actor in their hands, they were seen raising slogans and bursting firecrackers.

A large number of fans thronged theatres in Vijayawada, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Nellore and other major towns in Andhra Pradesh.

Many fans were seen holding flags of ‘Jana Sena’, the political party founded and headed by Pawan Kalyan. They hailed the return of the ‘power star’ to the silver screen.

At a few places, wild celebrations by die-hard fans created some trouble, and police had to use mild force to control them.

Directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and A. M. Jyothi Krishna and produced by A. Dayakar Rao and A. M. Rathnam, the movie is set in the 17th-century Mughal Empire. The story revolves around a legendary warrior named Veeramallu, portrayed by Pawan Kalyan.

The actor’s fans were overjoyed and predicted that it would become a superhit and break all the records.

The actor took to ‘X’ on Thursday to share his thoughts about the movie. “The Jizya tax, a punitive levy imposed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on Hindus for practising their faith, stands as a stark symbol of oppression, yet historians have long softened its brutality. HariHaraVeeraMallu boldly unmasks this injustice, exposing the erasure of Hindu suffering and the looting of India’s wealth, like the Kohinoor’s theft. With unwavering resolve, this saga celebrates Sanatana Dharma and the courage of our unsung heroes who defied tyranny,” wrote the actor-politician.

Earlier, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu conveyed his best wishes to his deputy ahead of his movie’s release.

He also congratulated Pawan Kalyan’s fans and audience who have been eagerly awaiting the release of the movie for a long time.

Naidu wished success for the film. “I wish that ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu,’ his first performance in a film crafted with a historical storyline, becomes a super hit. While discharging crucial responsibilities as the Deputy CM in the government, he managed to act in this movie. I hope this movie captivates all sections of the audience,” posted the Chief Minister.

Responding to Naidu’s wishes, Pawan Kalyan said that though he had met him several times over the past 10 years but they never discussed film. The actor-politician Naidu’s affectionate mention of ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ filled him with surprise and joy. He said that Naidu’s words are a sign of success.

Pawan Kalyan thanked Naidu for giving him the flexibility to act in the film while fulfilling his responsibilities and for wishing for the film’s success.

Interestingly, on the day of the release of his long-awaited movie, Pawan Kalyan attended the state Cabinet meeting.

–IANS

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