Mumbai:

Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan, who recently tasted victory in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, has said that he will continue to work in films.

Mr Kalyan also assumed charge as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, leaving the fans with a bittersweet feeling as they thought that the actor would now be engaged full-time in politics.

But Pawan Kalyan has finally broken his silence on his stand on films. The actor assured fans that he would be doing films. As per Track Tollywood, the actor shared the timeline as he said that he will start doing films in the next three months. He will start completing three films which were put on hold.

These films are ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’, ‘OG’ and ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’. It is reported that the actor will first concentrate on completing these films. However, there’s no clarity about him taking up new projects.

Producer AM Rathnam has also recently said that he was hoping to release ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ in theatres this December. The film, which was announced in 2019, went through several production delays owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. It also stars Bobby Deol.

As per media reports, director Krish Jagarlamudi, who was earlier supposed to helm the film, has walked out of the project as a director and will be reportedly serving as a mentor to AM Rathnam’s son, Jyothi Krishna.

‘OG’ is said to have been pushed to next year. ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ may also release next year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gollaprolu (Andhra Pradesh):

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Monday said he declined to accept his salary and any special allowances, including new furniture for his office, considering the precarious financial condition of the state.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that officials at his camp office recently asked him about its renovation and purchase of furniture, but he rejected those privileges.

“They (officials) asked what to do about the camp office (renovation) and repairs. I told them not to do anything and leave it alone. I told them not to buy any new furniture and I will bring it on my own if it is needed,” said Mr Kalyan, addressing a meeting after he participated in the welfare pension disbursal programme.

The actor-politician further mentioned that officials from the Secretariat came to get his signature on documents related to his salary of Rs 35,000 for attending the House for three days.

However, he told them that he could not take the salary.

Mr Kalyan claimed that the Panchayat Raj Department, which he heads as a minister, lacked adequate funds, prompting him to deny these privileges.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan has been made a deputy chief minister in Chandrababu Naidu’s government in Andhra Pradesh. Mr Kalyan, who was elected the Jana Sena Party’s floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly earlier this week, returned home to a warm welcome on Wednesday. His wife Anna Lezhneva, a former model-actress from Russia, marked the occasion with a traditional Hindu ritual. She performed aarti and applied a tika on his forehead. The moment, captured on camera, went viral across social media platforms.

Winning Celebrations of Pawan Kalyan – the man who created history by bringing together Jana Sena, BJP and TDP as an alliance in Andhra Pradesh and winning both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/SZdHVpUvUP

— Megh Updates ???? (@MeghUpdates) June 4, 2024

A user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Wow,welcomed With traditional culture of Bharat. Great.”

Wow,welcomed With traditional culture of Bharat. Great????????????????

— प्रखर द्विवेदी (@adityakumarKVK) June 6, 2024

Another wished her the best. “Best wishes to Mrs Kalyan. Great adaptation to Indian culture, Ma’am.”

Best wishes to Mrs Kalyan. Great adaptation to Indian culture, Ma’am.

— CHANCHAL KUMAR DATTA (@CHANCHALKUMARD9) June 10, 2024

“Very happy to see the traditions followed esp by Mrs. Pavan,” a read a comment. 

Very happy to see the traditions followed esp. by Mrs. Pavan.

— Gurunath Hari (@HariGurunath) June 9, 2024

Anna Lezhneva first met Pawan Kalyan during the filming of the movie Teen Maar in 2011. They got married two years later, in September 2013. She is Pawan Kalyan’s third wife and shares a son, Mark Shankar Pawanovich, with him. She also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Over the years, Ms Lezhneva’s relationship with Mr Kalyan has faced scrutiny and challenges, largely due to the Telugu star’s complex marital history. He was previously married to Nandini in 1997, which ended in divorce in 2008. He then got married to actress Renu Desai in 2009, with whom he shares two children, before their separation in 2012.

Pawan Kalyan, the leader of JSP, was sworn in as a minister in the Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah and JP Nadda, and other dignitaries. 

The BJP-TDP-Jana Sena alliance swept the Andhra Pradesh elections. They won 164 out of the total 175 Assembly seats and 21 of Andhra’s 25 Lok Sabha seats.

Ambati Rayudu interview: On IPL 2024, his stint at CSK and dabbling in politics

A lot can change in a year; Ambati Rayudu knows that.

Last May, he was jumping with joy at the Chennai Super Kings’ dugout in Ahmedabad, having contributed to one of IPL’s most memorable finals that the men in yellow won off the last ball. Late into the night, MS Dhoni would receive the trophy and hand it over to a beaming Rayudu in his last IPL match as a cricket player.

This May, Rayudu — now a commentator with Star Sports and talking about the game with as much passion as he once played it — was desolate, as he saw his former team get knocked out of TATA IPL 2024 on a rainy Saturday evening in Bangalore. In a video that is now going viral among cricket fans, Rayudu sits, his face buried in his hands, in disbelief.

Rayudu was showing his emotions, like he has always done. “Yes, I am an emotional being,” he tells me over a virtual conversation, a day before the CSK-RCB match, “I’ve always wanted things to be fair, and always fought for what I believe is right.”

Currently, the six-time IPL champion is busy with a hectic commentary stint. It is not something he would have fancied when he was a player, but Rayudu is enjoying it nevertheless. “I didn’t know if I would be good at it, because I hardly spoke during my playing days. But, with friends and family, I used to love discussing cricket. I pride myself as being a good student of the game and trying to understand its various intricacies. Broadcasting and commentating are new to me and I’m slowly trying to understand how things work, though many a time, I speak from the heart. I’m just happy I am still connected to the sport.”

Batting for CSK

IPL 2024 might have ended on a sour note for CSK, but Dhoni and Jadeja — the two men who were at the crease during the last moments of the recent Bangalore game — have been Chennai’s favourite IPL stars for many years now. Recalling the moments leading up to the famous CSK win of 2023, Rayudu says, “Remember Dhoni lifting Jadeja after he won us the game? We all know what CSK means to Dhoni, but it proved what it meant to Jadeja, who has been the team’s go-to man, be it batting, bowling or fielding.”

Rayudu was a star with Mumbai Indians in the earlier editions of IPL but has been vocal about his support for Chennai Super Kings, with which he had a successful stint. So, what is the amazing team environment that everyone raves about? “CSK is family. They let you be. At CSK, you are treated just the way you are treated at home; I’m not saying there is no pressure to win, but it’s the way you are treated at home, with parents or siblings. Every player feels like he belongs. The management and the support staff never speaks negatively and never puts you down. Even players who are not playing are constantly looked after; when that happens, you want to give your best. Say, if a player’s capacity is to score a 50 off 20 balls, due to this environment, you would like to do it in 18. This is why many players, who might not have played so well for other franchises, bloom here.” What also helps is the loyalty factor among players; someone like an MS Dhoni has been with the team since its inception. “Even after his retirement, I’m sure he will be associated with the team in a major capacity.”

Rayudu has been associated with Indian cricket for a long time — playing for India was the most memorable moment of his career — but he feels that the IPL, conceptualised in 2008, has brought the game closer to fans. “They understand T-20 cricket better, and they identify more with the players. The league is also a game-changer in terms of identifying talent. Previously, even if you were a talented player, you could get lost in the system if you are not identified by a certain set of selectors. But the IPL has been a great platform and throws the spotlight on players; a cricketer like Ashutosh Sharma (Punjab Kings) might not have been identified if he played only for the Railways. That’s the beauty of the IPL.”

The cricketer also dabbled in politics for a while, and this election season, he actively supported popular actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan. He hopes to play an active role in public life in the future. “I believe sport can be a unifying factor in bringing people together,” says Rayudu, who also runs a foundation in Guntur that helps people from disadvantaged sections of society,“I believe equal opportunities should be available; I have suffered in the past due to a lot of factors. I hope that a player, even without any godfather, should be able to play the sport just based on his or her talent. I’m looking forward to playing an important role in developing Andhra Pradesh as a better place to live in.”

Watch TATA IPL playoffs and final this week on the Star Sports Network

Krishna , Andhra Pradesh:

Actor-turned-politician and JanaSena Party (JSP) President, K Pawan Kalyan, on Thursday dismissed the speculations over his exit from the NDA to support the TDP, saying that he will announce any decision to leave when necessary.

Pawan Kalyan also took a swipe at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, asking him to focus on his party and the upcoming elections.

“I will let you know Jagan and other YSRCP leaders before I come out of the NDA. You should take care of your party and think how to score 175/175 positions in the upcoming polls,” Pawan Kalyan said while addressing the ‘Varahi Yatra’ held in Mudinepalli Mandal of Krishna district.

“I have the phone numbers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah. I will let you know if I come out from the NDA bloc”, the JSP chief added.

This comes after Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday offered all-out support to the TDP and jailed supremo Chandrababu Naidu.

Mr Kalyan said that the TDP is needed for good governance and development of Andhra Pradesh.

“TDP is a strong party and Andhra Pradesh needs the Telugu Desam Party for good governance, for the development of the state. Today TDP is in a struggle we will support them. TDP needs Janasaink’s young blood support in this situation. If TDP and Janasena join hands YSRCP will be submerged in the state,” Pavan Kalyan said while addressing a public meeting in Krishna district’s Pedana on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the Pawan Kalyan-led JanaSena Party clarified that the actor and politician is not leaving the NDA but is supporting the Telugu Desam in its time of need.

The party said that Pawan Kalyan in his speech in Krishna district did not say that he was leaving NDA.

“Pawan Kalyan said, though I’m in NDA, I’m coming out to say that we will support the TDP as they are weak now, this does not mean that he is leaving NDA, it means that despite being a part of NDA, Kalyan will support TDP as they are weak now,” said Bolisetty Satyanarayana, State General Secretary, and spokesperson of the JanaSena Party.

“So I want to clarify this to the people that we are very much with NDA, and we are going to be with TDP also. We’re with TDP as its experience is needed to throw Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) out from Andhra Pradesh,” the JSP spokesperson added.

On September 14, Pawan Kalyan visited Chandrababu Naidu in the Rajahmundry Central Jail where the latter has been lodged after he was sent to Judicial custody in a ‘skill development scam’ case.

JSP chief Pawan Kalyan had also attended a meeting of the NDA held in Delhi on July 18. Sources say that Pawan Kalyan had also proposed an alliance of TDP, BJP, and his party in Andhra Pradesh to fight YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP. The BJP has yet to take a decision on this.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Thursday announced an alliance between his Jana Sena and the Telugu Desam Party of ex-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who was this week sent to Rajahmundry Jail for two weeks following his arrest in an alleged Rs 371 crore scam case.

Flanked by Mr Naidu’s son, Nara Lokesh, and brother-in-law, Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, Mr Kalyan hit out at the Andhra Pradesh government over the “not correct” arrest.

“Today I have taken a decision Jana Sena and Telugu Desam will go together in the coming election. This is not about our (his party’s) political future… but the future of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

Mr Kalyan and Mr Balakrishna met Mr Naidu in jail this morning, after the Andhra Pradesh High Court said Wednesday that the TDP chief must be behind bars till Monday at least.

The state is scheduled to hold an Assembly election next year and Mr Kalyan declared it “cannot afford YSRCP”, referring to the YSR Congress Party of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Mr Kalyan then ripped into the “person who got this (Mr Naidu’s arrest) done” and accused that individual – understood to be Mr Reddy – as “facing big criminal charges”. “From PPA to state directive principles… all violations. Person who is facing Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation cases… who needs permission even to go out of country,” the actor-politician said.

READ | “Jagan Reddy’s Political Conspiracy”: Chandrababu Naidu’s Party On His Arrest

“He did not fulfil his promises and is looting… from liquor he is making cash,” his allegations continued as he slammed “unconstitutional activities of this man”. “Purely political vendetta… condemn this arrest. I had to stand by Lokesh and Balakrishna because of YSRCP and Jagan.”

On Sunday Chandrababu Naidu was sent to judicial custody for two weeks. On Tuesday an anti-corruption court rejected a house custody plea by his wife after she cited security concerns.

READ | Chandrababu Naidu To Stay In Jail, Court Rejects Wife’s “Safety” Request

On Wednesday the Andhra Pradesh Police’s Crime Investigation Department underlined its belief Mr Naidu is the primary accused in this case; he had initially been listed as Accused Number 37.

READ | Andhra Skill Development Corp Set Up By Flouting Rules: Investigators

The case pertains to setting up of clusters of centres of excellence (CoE) in the state with the total estimate of the project valued at Rs 3,300 crore, but this allegedly ended up causing a loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state. The CID believes that before any expenditure by private entities, the then government provided an advance of Rs 371 crores – the government’s full 10 per cent commitment.

READ | The Rs 371-Crore Scam That Led To Chandrababu Naidu’s Arrest: Explained

Investigations have led to the conclusion, prime facie, that Mr Naidu, then the head of the government and its highest executive, orchestrated the entire scheme, the CID said.