Director Harish Shankar is a die-hard fan of Pawan Kalyan and is currently gearing up for the theatrical release of Ustaad Bhagat Singh, his second collaboration with the actor-politician. However, on Tuesday night, the filmmaker inadvertently stirred controversy after quote-tweeting a Pawan Kalyan fan who wished that Ustaad Bhagat Singh would demolish Mahesh Babu’s existing box-office records.
“Thadasthu,” Harish Shankar wrote in response. The post instantly triggered fan wars on social media, even though it was deleted within minutes.
Harish douses the flames
A short while ago, Harish Shankar attempted to calm the situation by clarifying that he sincerely wishes Varanasi, Mahesh Babu’s upcoming film, becomes a sensational hit. He explained that Tuesday had been a particularly busy day for him.
“I was also replying to journalists, well-wishers, and fans who appreciated the promo of a song and were sending their wishes. In that rush, I only partially read a tweet and quoted it unintentionally. Within a minute, my team alerted me and asked me to read the tweet completely. I immediately realised the mistake and deleted it,” Harish Shankar wrote.
‘I have enough common sense’
The director further stated that he holds immense respect for Mahesh Babu and had no intention of hurting the superstar or his fans. He added that Pokiri is among his all-time favourite films. “For a film to create records, it needs the love and support of fans from all heroes and families alike. I have enough common sense not to post such things when my film is releasing in just 10 days,” he added.
In his statement, Harish Shankar used the word “mistake” multiple times and apologised for the unintended remark. The director is aware that the controversy may continue to be discussed on social media. In the Telugu states, online fan wars are common whenever a major superstar film is gearing up for release.
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