Amid controversies, director Ram Gopal Varma released his Power Star film at 11 am on Saturday on his rgvworld.in website. 'Power Star' is the title used by actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, who heads the Jana Sena party. However, he is not associated with the film. RGV has also claimed that the film is not based on Pawan Kalyan.
“I am watching Power Star now," wrote the director on Twitter, announcing the film's release. The movie was priced at Rs 150 for advance booking, and Rs.250 after release.
Earlier, on July 22, RGV released the movie's trailer and it garnered 4.5 million views. It has been trending at No.1 on YouTube. Though the trailer was earlier planned to be a paid release priced at Rs.25, it was leaked online. The director then made it available for free on YouTube and has promised to return the money of those who paid for it.
Following the release of the trailer, some self-proclaimed fans of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan attacked RGV’s office. They pelted stones which damaged the windows of the office. As earlier reported by TNM, the attack happened in Hyderabad on Thursday evening.
The film, which appears to be a parody set in the backdrop of the Jana Sena chief's political defeat in the 2019 General Elections, is the reason for the outrage among self-proclaimed fans of Pawan Kalyan.
RGV’s private security reportedly drove out the men as they were creating a ruckus on the premises. Jubilee Hills police have detained as many as six men following a complaint by the staff from RGV's office.
Speaking to the media, RGV said, "This is a democratic country. I have the right to make a film. I kept saying this is a fictional movie and not related to anyone, but they're making a mess out of it." He stated that no one can stop his movie which is being released on his own OTT platform.
Ram Gopal Varma is known for his controversial scripts, depicting the lives of popular film stars, political personalities and people who are in the news cycle.