Pawan Kalyan calls Chiranjeevi his real ‘Hero’; 'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' actor says ‘Cinema gave me my identity’

Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan recently spoke about his admiration for actor Chiranjeevi. The star made the statement during the pre-release event of his upcoming film Ustaad Bhagat Singh.


As reported by Eenadu, the event was held at the Yousufguda police grounds in Hyderabad.




During his speech, Pawan Kalyan said cinema had played a major role in shaping his life and career.




The 'OG' actor said, “I love cinema. Cinema fed me and gave me the identity that allowed me to serve the people. That is why I always wish well for directors, writers and producers. I have never cared about film collections. I do not see films as Telugu cinema or Tamil cinema. I only see them as Indian cinema. For me, the real hero is Chiranjeevi. I sincerely thank my elder brother for appreciating this film’s trailer and tweeting about it. I also thank Ram Charan and ‘Peddi’ director Buchi Babu.”

Film gives actor confidence to balance politics and cinema

Pawan Kalyan also spoke about managing his responsibilities as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh while continuing his film career.


According to the actor, 'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' gave him confidence that acting in films is still possible with proper planning.


He credited director Harish Shankar for helping him manage the schedule efficiently and also explained that the film was completed in a limited timeframe despite several challenges during production.


Pawan Kalyan continued, “Everyone starts a film with the intention of achieving success. But once the process begins, many obstacles arise. It is very difficult to overcome those challenges and achieve what we aim for. I usually trust the director and move forward. Whatever the director asks, I do it. Harish initially narrated a different story, but we couldn’t take it forward. Later the story changed. Then COVID came. In between, I entered politics. After becoming Deputy Chief Minister, I planned carefully so that my duties would not be affected and completed the film in a short time. I was able to finish the shoot in just 40–45 days.”

Actor credits music team

During the speech, Pawan Kalyan also highlighted the contribution of the music team behind the film. He praised composer Devi Sri Prasad for creating strong buzz around the project and also mentioned that S. Thaman worked on the background score.


He said, “Without music director Devi Sri Prasad, this film would not have received so much craze. Since he was busy, Thaman provided the background score. I believe the role played by Sreeleela in this film will stand out as a special one in her career. Raashii Khanna didn’t even listen to the story because she wanted to act alongside me, and I thank her for that. If one among you (the fans) becomes a director, it is Harish Shankar. He is very talented. I am eagerly waiting to see what kind of verdict you give for this film.”

Chiranjeevi praises film’s trailer

Earlier, Chiranjeevi had shared his reaction to the film’s trailer on social media platform X. The megastar praised the trailer and wished success to the team.


Re-sharing the trailer, he wrote in Telugu, “మ్యాజిక్ జరిగింది..ముహూర్తం కుదిరింది..ట్రైలర్ అదిరింది..ఉగాదికి “ఉస్తాద్ భగత్ సింగ్” తో అన్నీ శుభాలే!! (Magic happened..The moment is set..The trailer is terrific..With Ustaad Bhagat Singh, Ugadi will bring all good things!!”) He further added, “Best wishes to dear Kalyan babu, @Harish2You and the team of #UstaadBhagatSingh.”

Star-studded cast

'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' features an ensemble cast led by Pawan Kalyan. The film also stars Sreeleela and Raashii Khanna as the female leads.


The supporting cast includes Ashutosh Rana, Nawab Shah, B. S. Avinash, R. Parthiban, Gautami and Chammak Chandra in key roles.


Directed by Harish Shankar, the film is scheduled to release in theatres on March 19.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”