Pawan Kalyan is unlikely to return to Telugu films. Senior leaders of the Jana Sena have told Filter Kaapi that the Powerstar has said a firm goodbye to the world of movies and he has no intention of returning to tinsel town.

“By temperament, he is a socio-political reformer. His passion is not films. He is a born leader. There will be no more films for Pawan Kalyan,” said Ravela Kishore Babu, former Andhra minister who contested from Prathipadu on the Jana Sena ticket. 

This is in line with what Pawan said in his interviews during the election campaign. He had spoken at length about how he did not enjoy doing playacting for the camera and that politics of the Jana Sena kind is what he always aspired to do. 

“I do not like the world of films. I never felt comfortable,” Pawan had said. “It was a pain to act. Here I feel natural, I am myself.”

On Sunday at a meeting in Mangalagiri with Jana Sena candidates, Pawan reiterated his commitment asking both his fans and the party cadre not to believe rumours about him taking a break from politics after counting on 23 May. 

The clarification was necessary because there was room for the doubting Thomases. That is because after launching Jana Sena in March 2014, Pawan went back to doing films after the general elections that year. It was only in 2018 that he hit the road once again, in a full-fledged political avatar.

That is also because his elder brother Chiranjeevi merged his Praja Rajyam with the Congress within four years of floating it in 2008. Now Chiranjeevi is completely out of politics, having returned to the arclights and greasepaint.

Three, Pawan’s affidavit filed in both Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram constituencies mentioned that he had taken a Rs 33.72 crore loan from eight people, including three movie production houses. Was this an advance for a movie role, many wondered. This also gave rise to speculation that if the election results did not give the Jana Sena significant number of seats, Pawan would return to Tollywood.

“If he has taken a loan, he will return the money,” said Kishore Babu. 

Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly speaker, Nadendla Manohar who contested from Tenali on the Jana Sena ticket says Pawan is invested in the future of the party and the state and rules out a repeat of Praja Rajyam.

“Films are not on the cards. Not at all. He is fully dedicated to public life. If he was not serious about it, he would not have built such a huge party office in Mangalagiri,” said Nadendla Manohar. 

Though the politicians in Jana Sena have ruled out Pawan Kalyan 2.0 in films, a few story writers and directors in Hyderabad are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping to excite the actor with a challenging role that would be in sync with his political stature.