Exclusive: Pawan Kalyan shares whether his heart lies with films or politics

India Today

Telugu superstar and politician Pawan Kalyan spoke about balancing films and politics in an exclusive conversation with Rajdeep Sardesai, consulting editor, India Today TV and anchor Akshita Nandgopal. He is awaiting the release of his film Hari Hara Veera Mallu.

Transcript

00:00Akshita, tell a good question.

00:03I think the question everyone will be asking right now, Pawan Kalyangaru,

00:07bringing the focus back to Harihara Veera Mallu,

00:09because as a power star fan, I want to know,

00:12this is your first film that's being released after you took charge

00:15as the Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister.

00:17How hard is it, Pawan Kalyangaru, to be a power star and a power neta?

00:21Pawan Kalyangaru, for me, my priority, my heart always goes for

00:31social transformation and politics, even before I entered into cinema.

00:37I'm a very socially conscious personality, right from my childhood.

00:42Films later latched on to me.

00:45It's a quite tough job.

00:47It's a quite tough job.

00:48Here, you know, the tough part is, okay, here you go,

00:52you fight against your rivals, you go and fight with your,

00:55you talk about public policy.

00:57Suddenly, you come back to cinema and try to shake a leg,

01:00try to say something in a dramatic way.

01:03There, I really struggled to say that.

01:06I really struggled.

01:07And for me, for example, even for me, action sequence comes out naturally

01:10because I'm a trained in martial art, so that comes out naturally.

01:14And dialogue is also okay.

01:15But sometimes a little melodrama is needed

01:18or some kind of dance is needed.

01:21I find it, frankly speaking, I find it quite a bit awkward to do it.

01:24There, I find it really, should I continue acting?

01:27I should have given up long back?

01:29But the only thing is lack of my financial sources, only cinema.

01:33I think I have to do this.

01:35You know, you always said that you didn't really plan to get into acting,

01:41but it's something that happened with you.

01:43So you're saying very candidly that you do this because you need the money

01:46to continue funding your political dreams of transforming Andhra.

01:49Is that what you're telling us?

01:50No, I need it because, for me, politics is a way of national service to me.

01:59It is not something, it's not otherwise.

02:03Politics is meant for anybody to the social rights, national service,

02:07but it's a service to society.

02:10And if I would have had enough money or if I would have had a continuous stream

02:14of income, I don't think I would do films because of films.

02:17More than films, my passion is more for public life and people and politics.

02:21Okay.

02:23Okay, so Power Neta over Power Star, Rajdeep.

02:26But we're going to leave it there.

02:27Yeah.

02:30Yeah, we're going to leave it there, Pawan Kalyan.

02:33I know you've had a very busy schedule.

02:35You're both Power Neta, Power Star.

02:38I thought, Akshita, you want to give one line in Telugu

02:41to sum up what Pawan Kalyan means for his fans?

02:46Rajdeep, whatever I say, I know his fans will feel let down,

02:48but I will say this, that Pawan Kalyan Garu,

02:51I hope Hari Hari Veera Mallu is as good as my favourite Pawan Kalyan film,

02:56which is Gabbar Singh.

02:57So I hope it's as good as that.

03:02Hopefully.

03:03Hopefully you get it.

03:03Thank you, sir.

03:04Thank you, sir Rajdeepji.

03:05Thank you, Jahan.

03:05Pawan Kalyan.

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