Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 22 : Actor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has said his upcoming film Hari Hara Veera Mallu tells the story of a heist involving the Koh-i-Noor diamond and sheds light on the tyranny of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Speaking to ANI ahead of the film's release, Kalyan said he had been associated with the project for several years. "Even before I became a politician, Krish Jagarlamudi was working on the idea with the producer, AM Rathnam. Then I agreed to it, but later I got busy in 2018-19. We thought about launching the film after 2019, but two COVID-19 waves left an impact, and we could not do it," he said.
The actor said the historical backdrop of the film attracted him, especially the journey of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. "For me, the journey of doing this film was interesting. It comes with a high concept, the one of stealing Koh-i-Noor from Peacock Throne during Aurangzeb era. I think that caught my interest and I started off. But there are several layers. It looks like robbing the Koh-i-Noor from the Peacock Throne. However, it will show how it travelled from the Kollur Mines in Vijayawada to Nizam and then how it ended up in the hands of the Mughals," he said.
Kalyan, who is also known for his role in 'Gabbar Singh', said he wanted to show how people were oppressed during Aurangzeb's rule. "To steal from that, a diamond which is of such a great journey. And that was interesting for me. And amidst this heist drama, there is lot of things which would unfold, the tyranny of Aurangzeb. I think that concept was quite interesting for me," he said.
"For being a Hindu in those times, you were supposed to pay tax, no music, nothing. And there was a lot of oppression. So that was one of the crucial elements of the film, amidst this heist drama," he added.
Kalyan also criticised how Indian history is taught in schools, saying there is too much focus on the Mughals and not enough on other Indian dynasties. "How come we don't talk about Chalukya? How come we were never taught about Vijayanagara? How come we were never taught about the Ahom dynasty from Assam or the Nayakas from Tamil Nadu? And the major part was how Chhatrapati Shivaji came for a rescue in Tamil Nadu temples. How come it was not conveyed? So all these things, I think, if you look at it in that perspective, I think it is, except the Mughals, the rest of the dynasties were never given the right recognition for what they deserve. I think we have a right to know about it," he said.
'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' is set to release on July 24 and will be Kalyan's first major film since 2023.