Never forget your roots: Dy CM Pawan

Rajamahendravaram: Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan emphasised the importance of staying grounded, regardless of one’s success.

Speaking at the grand pre-release event of the much-anticipated film Game Changer held at Vemagiri, Rajahmundry on Saturday night, Pawan shared his thoughts on cinema, politics and the values he holds close.

Addressing the gathering, Pawan stated that movie ticket prices are determined by demand and supply, adding that increased ticket rates contribute to government revenue through GST. He clarified that politics should not interfere with the film industry, stressing the need to keep the two domains separate.

Recalling his family’s roots in the film industry, he noted that their legacy is closely tied to Megastar Chiranjeevi. He fondly remembered legendary filmmakers, producers and actors who contributed to the industry’s growth.

Referring to Ram Charan’s performance in Rangasthalam, Pawan expressed his hope for the actor to win the ‘Best Actor’ award. He also highlighted the growing budgets of films, making promotional events like this essential for reaching audiences. The Deputy CM reminisced about his early days as a mov-iegoer, recalling how he watched Shankar’s Gentleman in Chennai and took his grandmother to see Premikudu. He praised director Shankar for elevating South Indian cine-ma with socially relevant films.

Actor Ram Charan, speaking at the event, described Pawan Kalyan as the “real Game Changer” in Indian poli-tics. Director Shankar noted that the character in the mov-ie was inspired by leaders like Pawan. Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh highlighted the State government’s commitment to introducing a progressive film policy under the leader-ship of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan. He urged filmmakers to utilise Andhra Pra-desh’s diverse landscapes and assured support for infra-structure development to boost the industry. Actor Srikanth likened Ram Charan’s presence on set to that of Chiranjeevi and expressed confidence that the film would win a National Award.

The event saw participation from noted personalities, in-cluding SJ Suryah, Anjali, Naveen Chandra, lyricist Rama-jogayya Sastry, writer Sai Madhav Burra, producer Dil Raju, and political figures like P Hariprasad, Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary and Adireddy Srinivas. The evening’s function was hosted by noted anchor Suma with her trademark charm, leaving the audience enthralled. Game Changer, directed by Shankar and starring Ram Charan, promises to be a cinematic spectacle that blends powerful storytelling with social relevance.