Power Heft

With his huge fan base and the left’s support, Pawan Kalyan hopes to script an electoral victory next year.

- Rahul Devulapalli

In an industry where hits and flops define a star, Pawan Kalyan is an exception. Despite a decade of flops, his popularity has never waned. The ‘Power Star’ of Telugu cinema enjoys demigod status among his huge fan base, which also includes artistes from within the industry. His fans say they love their idol more for what he is in real life, than in the reel one. His followers swear by ‘Pawanism’—an ideology based on his thoughts, nature and actions. But, it was Pawan’s transformation from a shy actor at film promotions to a fiery political speaker that grabbed the most eyeballs—his campaign rallies for the Telugu Desam Party and the BJP in Andhra Pradesh in 2014 attracted huge crowds.

Pawan made his film debut in 1996 with Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi. In later years, he stood out with his martial arts stunts and unconventional performances. He further gained the audience’s love and respect by doing films with a social message.

Pawan’s tryst with politics began with the Praja Rajyam Party, which was founded by his elder brother, K. Chiranjeevi, in 2008. He was head of its youth wing—Yuva Rajyam. But, Pawan was quick to move away from better die...” The tweets sent his fans into a tizzy, with some of them even saying that they would die if something happened to him. The actor then accused two popular news channels of maligning his image as part of the TDP’s game plan. And, that set the trolls among his fans rolling against the channels and the TDP. The next morning, Pawan headed to the Film Chamber of Commerce in Hyderabad to demand stringent action against those within the industry who were playing to the tune of the TDP. Here, too, his fans assembled in large numbers. For the next few days, he tried to ‘expose’ his enemies through his tweets.