Telugu poster of 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' torn by pro-Kannada fighters!

Pawan Kalyan's much-awaited pan-India film 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' was released on July 24 with a bang and the audience's eyes in Karnataka were also on it. However, the issue of language issues during the promotion of the film in Bengaluru has now taken the form of a controversy. Pro-Kannada activists staged a protest near a theatre in Bengaluru and tore the Telugu-language poster of the film. The activists are angry that all the posters of the film are in Telugu language and kannada language has been given less importance in promotion.

During the protest, the activists also had an argument with the theatre staff and some Pawan Kalyan fans. The police immediately intervened and brought the situation under control. While there is no clear information available about the incident, videos of posters being circulated on social media in this regard are going viral. The film has been released pan-India and has been dubbed in Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam languages. But it is clear that the Kannada version has got less space in various theatres in Karnataka, including Bengaluru. According to sources, the Kannada version has been screened in only two theatres in Bengaluru and only six shows are available for the version.

Such an incident has once again sparked a debate on the linguistic dignity of Kannadigas. The activists are of the opinion that despite being released in Kannada, there is no publicity and there is no respect for the local language. It is being said that pro-Kannada organisations may express their anger against the move of the film crew and distribution companies. It is the moral responsibility of the media and the film industry to give equal respect to all languages in such situations and this controversy is a testimony to avoiding such differences in future.