As Pawan Kalyan celebrates his birthday on Wednesday (September 2), it is worth revisiting the arc of a career that has always danced to its own rhythm.
Pawan Kalyan, a style icon
His early years in cinema unfolded like a whirlwind romance with the audience. Suswagatham announced a fresh, unpolished charm that Telugu cinema had not quite seen before. Tholi Prema followed, cementing his standing as a natural performer with an easy screen presence. The coming-of-age tale Thammudu, meanwhile, spoke directly to the restlessness of youngsters grappling with lethargy and family expectations.
Then came Badri and Kushi, films that did more than entertain; they turned him into a style icon. His hairstyles, mannerisms and even his dialogue delivery became the stuff of college-campus imitation. These love stories struck a chord precisely because they felt real, never syrupy.
A magnetism that refused to wane
The years following Johnny (2003) could have dimmed a lesser star, but Pawan Kalyan’s magnetism refused to wane. Then, in 2012, Gabbar Singh arrived with rustic energy and mass appeal, proving that he could headline a full-blooded commercial entertainer with effortless swagger.
Attarintiki Daredi showed a gentler, more emotionally resonant side. Both films became industry hits and placed him firmly back on familiar turf, that of a superstar. Gopala Gopala took an entirely different route, using satire and philosophical wit.
One of Telugu cinema’s biggest mass heroes
More recently, Pawan has shown that he can still command the screen with gravitas. Vakeel Saab, a remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s Pink, married social consciousness with courtroom drama, while Bheemla Nayak paired him with Rana Daggubati in a stylish, blood-and-thunder face-off that reminded everyone why he remains one of the biggest mass heroes of Telugu cinema.
More recently, the anticipation surrounding They Call Him OG reached fever pitch. The film generated extraordinary openings despite its primary audience being concentrated in the Telugu-speaking markets.
From cinema to the corridors of power
Pawan’s political journey transformed him from Tollywood’s “Power Star” into a formidable mass leader. Off screen, his journey has taken an equally dramatic turn. He lost the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, but in 2024, his Jana Sena Party won all 21 seats it contested, creating political history. Pawan subsequently rose to the position of Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
In the coming years, the Power Star, as he is affectionately known, plans to act in a sequel to They Call Him OG, besides producing films under his banner, PK Creative Works.
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