Malla Reddy Declines ₹3 Crore Role in Pawan Kalyan Film: ‘Not Interested’

Why Malla Reddy said no to Pawan Kalyan’s film

During the interview, Reddy explained that director Harish Shankar approached him, hoping he would take on the villain role in Ustaad Bhagat Singh. However, Reddy wasn’t interested in the typical villain archetype. “Harish Shankar approached me for an hour and even offered a remuneration of ₹3 crore. I told him I’m not keen on playing the villain,” he mentioned, humorously adding that it would entail yelling at the hero until the interval, followed by getting beaten in the second half.

This isn’t the first time Reddy has discussed Shankar’s approach. Earlier in 2023, at the teaser launch for Memu Famous, he hinted at the conversation but soon shifted to his desire to produce films. He chuckled when a crowd member jokingly shouted “hero” and responded, “I won’t play a hero because you’ll get bored of me. After the elections, I want to focus on producing some compelling films in Telangana.”

Overview of Ustaad Bhagat Singh

The film Ustaad Bhagat Singh, directed by Harish Shankar, is produced by Mythri Movie Makers and features Pawan Kalyan and Sreeleela in key roles. This project adapts Atlee’s 2016 movie Theri, which has also seen a Hindi remake featuring Varun Dhawan. Anticipation for the film remains high, with a projected release in 2026. Pawan Kalyan, currently the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, has not yet confirmed any additional film projects following his recent performances in Hari Hara Veera Mallu and They Call Him OG.