Dil Raju: No one has the guts to stop Pawan Kalyan’s film

After Allu Aravind, producer Dil Raju also held a press conference on Tuesday to clarify his stance on the ongoing theatre shutdown controversy in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Responding to allegations that he was part of a group orchestrating a strike that could affect the release of Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Raju said, “Many are indirectly dragging my name into this. Honestly, no one has the guts to stop Pawan Kalyan gaaru’s film.”

He also stated, “We don’t close theatres generally. In my 30-year career, I have never seen cinema halls being closed. When issues arise, we may halt shootings but never shut theatres.”

Addressing concerns over theatre ownership, Raju explained, “Out of the 370 single-screen theatres in Nizam, SVC and my companies operate only 30. The rest are mostly run by independent owners.” He said the current model of rental in the first week and a shift to percentage from the second week is difficult for exhibitors. “There’s no unity among us. That’s why producers are individually seeking ticket price hikes. We will find a solution soon.”

Dil Raju also acknowledged Pawan Kalyan’s frustration: “He is like a big brother to the industry. If he says something, we will bear it. There is nothing wrong.” 

This row erupted from an attempted theatre shutdown planned from June 1, initiated by exhibitors seeking a shift from rental agreements to a revenue-sharing model. The move, which threatened the release of Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu on June 12, drew strong criticism from the actor-politician and his fans, who accused industry stakeholders of failing to acknowledge the government’s support since the NDA came to power.