Harish Shankar Deletes Controversial Tweet on Mahesh Babu

Director Harish Shankar, who is currently working on the film Ustaad Bhagat Singh starring Pawan Kalyan, has apologised to fans of Mahesh Babu after a social media post sparked controversy. The issue became a hot topic on Twitter on Tuesday evening and has since become a talking point in Tollywood.

The controversy began when a fan posted a tweet about Ustaad Bhagat Singh suggesting that the film should break the records set by Mahesh Babu. Responding to the tweet, Harish Shankar retweeted it with the word “Tathastu” (so be it). Realising the implication of the message within seconds, the director deleted the tweet. However, Mahesh Babu’s fans had already noticed it and began trolling the director heavily on social media. Some even started trending hashtags against Ustaad Bhagat Singh.

As the issue escalated, Harish Shankar issued a clarification and apology to Mahesh Babu’s fans.

In a note released on social media, the director explained that he had been extremely busy on Tuesday with several commitments, including a meeting with the censor board officials after the film’s censorship process, a temple visit, ongoing post-production work, and background score sessions at music director S. Thaman’s studio. Amid this hectic schedule, he said he was replying to messages from journalists and fans and accidentally retweeted the post without reading it completely.

Harish Shankar said that once his team alerted him about the tweet, he deleted it within a minute.

He also clarified that he has immense respect for Mahesh Babu and that his admiration for the actor can be seen from his earlier tweets praising the blockbuster Pokiri. The director added that he believes Mahesh Babu will create many more records with his upcoming film Varanasi.

“I had absolutely no intention of hurting Mahesh Babu or his fans. With my film releasing in another 10 days, I am not foolish enough to make such posts. Every film that aims to create records needs the support of fans of all heroes,” he said.

Harish Shankar concluded by saying that if anyone’s sentiments were hurt because of his tweet, he sincerely apologises.

The controversy has now become a major discussion point in the Telugu film industry.