The entire team of Virata Parvam named Sai Pallavi as the lead actor in the film. Even Rana promoted her standing aside and the team of the film gave her the tag of Lady Powerstar. The tag was displayed on the screens during all the promotional events. The makers of Virata Parvam promoted the film well and spent lavishly on the promotions. Three big events have been held for the film and Rana, Sai Pallavi gave a bunch of interviews. Virata Parvam opened on a dull note and the Saturday numbers are pathetic. As per the trade analysts, the film will fail to recover the promotional budget through the theatrical revenues.

The audience are willing to watch Sai Pallavi in energetic roles that she did in films like Fidaa and Love Story. Films like Kanam and Virata Parvam are outrightly rejected by the audience and they are examples that she will not be accepted in such roles. The team of Virata Parvam was over-confident and over-enthusiastic in promoting Sai Pallavi as Lady Powerstar and this failed big time. The film’s box-office numbers are an example.

Leave about the mixed response, Virata Parvam registered low footfalls on its opening day. The critics and analysts are now laughing at the numbers and the tag of Lady Powerstar.

The film Virata Parvam was based on the real-life character Sarala which was played in the movie by Sai Pallavi. Although the makers didn’t disclose the original name, Sarala’s brother Mohan Rao who participated in press meet along with the team revealed the name as Shankaranna.

He appreciated Suresh Productions for coming forward to make a film on his sister’s life. He thanked Rana and Sai Pallavi for being part of the project. He has also spoken about the facts on his sister’s death.

“We initially had apprehensions on the movie. But we were convinced, after Venu narrated the story. Udugula A reported friend called me to enquire about the climax portion and doubted it may not be true. I told him whether he was there during the incident. Even we didn’t know what actually happened. Venu did four years of research on the subject and he knows more than what our family knows.

Actually, my sister loved revolution, though it was shown as if she developed feelings on Shankaranna in the movie. We had negative feelings on Shankaranna who allegedly was behind the killing of my sister. I wish Suresh Productions would make many more such meaningful movies.”

Sai Pallavi said even she wouldn’t have accepted had someone approached her with the proposal of making a film on her family members. “I didn’t meet the family earlier. I had heavy feeling, after I met them. They accepted me as their family member. Suresh Babu sir is an encyclopaedia. I learnt a lot of lessons from him and Rana.”

A statement by Sai Pallavi in a YouTube interview on the lynching of alleged cow smuggler has triggered a social media controversy just as her Telugu film, ‘Virata Parvam’, hit the big screens.

In a YouTube interview, the actress discussed the exodus of Pandits from Kashmir in the early 1990s and compared it with the recent incidents of lynching of suspected cow smugglers.

The celebrated actress, who says she is ideologically neutral, stated: “The film ‘The Kashmir Files’ depicts the assassination of Kashmiri Pandits. A man was recently slain for carrying a cow because he was suspected of being a Muslim. The perpetrators shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ after killing the victim. Where is the line drawn between what occurred in Kashmir and what occurred recently?”

The comment provoked a unit of the Bajrang Dal to file a complaint in Hyderabad. The Bajrang Dal Bhagyanagar displayed their complaint letter on Twitter and said that a case had been filed against the actress at the Sultanbazar P.S.

They asked Sai Pallavi to apologise to the entire country, particularly to Kashmiri Pandits, for her “venomous” statements. They added that if she did not do so, “the situation will deteriorate further”.

Some of Sai Pallavi’s admirers have defended her views on social media, while others have expressed their unhappiness.

‘Virata Parvam’, the next film starring Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi, had its pre-release event on Wednesday at Shilpakala Vedika, Hyderabad. Sai Pallavi, who received a huge shoutout, was dubbed ‘Lady Powerstar’ by the audience.

When Sai Pallavi took the platform to speak to the audience, she was met with thunderous applause.

Overwhelmed, the ‘Fidaa’ actress thanked everyone for attending the occasion, especially Venkatesh, who she said had infused her with so much positivity.

Sai Pallavi requested that everyone attend the screening of ‘Virata Parvam’ on June 17, stating that the film will pleasantly surprise everyone because it is not what anyone would expect.

Venkatesh and Ram Charan were meant to be the event’s main guests, while Ram Charan was unable to attend owing to a flight delay, Venkatesh was present.

In his remarks, Rana Daggubati apologised on behalf of Ram Charan to all of his fans for the actor’s absence on the occasion.

Director Venu Udugula and several technicians were also present at the pre-release ceremony.

‘Virata Parvam’ is slated to release on June 17 and features a large cast.