It is a well known thing that the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Pawan Kalyan are not on the best of terms. This was clearly evident when Jagan previously targeted Pawan Kalyan’s Vakeel Saab by imposing ticket price restrictions and objecting to special shows. Pawan Kalyan later spoke at length about the same at Republic pre-release event and this added more fuel to the fire. So, it is fair to say that the government of Andhra Pradesh will be in no mood to provide any kind of amenities to any of Pawan Kalyan’s forthcoming films, including his immediate next one – Bheemla Nayak.
The makers of Bheemla Nayak recently announced that they are ready to release the film on the 25th of February if the Covid situation permits. In case that is not possible due to the Covid pandemic, then the release will be pushed to 1 April. But if the film really does stick to the February 25 slot, then there is a big risk associated with the same.
If Bheemla Nayak is the first film to release in theatres post the Covid third wave, the onus is on the makers to negotiate with the state government for the flexible ticket prices and permissions for special shows. But given the strained relationship between Jagan and Pawan Kalyan, the chances of the state government providing any amenities to Bheemla Nayak are very low. Also, Jagan’s no-nonsense attitude is another key factor that will come into play. He is not likely to permit any special ticket prices.
If Bheemla Nayak is pushed to a later date, then the makers can sit back while the makers of early releases like RRR and Radhe Shyam will be in talks with the state government and negotiate for the flexible ticket prices. This way, Bheemla Nayak might be in a favorable position when it arrives on 1 April as it will be releasing after other biggies, and if the government provides special permissions to other films, then it will be obliged to do the same for Bheemla Nayak as well. More details will emerge soon.
