In yet another controversy in Tollywood, director Harish Shankar, known for his film ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ featuring Pawan Kalyan, has found himself in hot water after allegedly hurting the fans of superstar Mahesh Babu. The issue gained traction on Twitter yesterday evening, sparking a flurry of discussions, which eventually escalated to a point where Shankar felt compelled to apologize to Mahesh Babu’s fans.
The controversy erupted when a fan tweeted about ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh,’ suggesting that Mahesh Babu’s records should be broken. In response, Harish Shankar retweeted the message with a simple “Thathastu,” which means “So be it.” However, within seconds, the implications of his tweet became clear, and he quickly deleted it. Despite the deletion, Mahesh Babu’s fans did not hold back and began to troll Shankar severely on social media, leading to the trending of hashtags against ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh.’
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Harish Shankar issued a public apology to the fans of Mahesh Babu. In a note he released, he explained, “I was busy all day with a meeting with the censor board officials, a visit to my grandmother, and post-production work, including background score work at Thaman’s studio. During that hectic time, I inadvertently retweeted a message without fully reading it while replying to journalists and fans.” He further clarified that as soon as his team alerted him, he deleted the tweet within a minute.
Shankar expressed his deep respect for Mahesh Babu, stating, “My love for him can be understood by looking at my past tweets about ‘Pokiri.’ I believe he will break many more records with ‘Varanasi.'” He emphasized that it was never his intention to hurt Mahesh Babu or his fans. “I am not so foolish as to make such posts at a time when a film is about to be released in 10 days. The support of all heroes’ fans is essential to create records for a film. Nonetheless, if I have hurt anyone’s feelings, I sincerely apologize,” he added.
This incident has stirred considerable conversation within the Tollywood community, highlighting the intense loyalty and passion of fans for their idols. As the release date of ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ approaches, all eyes will be on the film, as well as the reactions from both Mahesh Babu’s and Pawan Kalyan’s fan bases. The unfolding drama serves as a reminder of the often-fraught relationships between filmmakers and fans in the competitive film industry.
As Harish Shankar navigates the fallout from this controversy, it remains to be seen how it will impact the upcoming film and the dynamics between the fans of these two prominent stars in Tollywood.
