Harish Shankar apologizes to Mahesh Babu’s fans after Twitter row

Director Harish Shankar has apologized to fans of Mahesh Babu after a social media reply sparked controversy during promotions for his upcoming film “Ustaad Bhagat Singh.”

The incident occurred during Harish Shankar’s interaction with fans on Twitter ahead of the film’s release. While responding to several posts, the director overlooked the full context of one fan’s comment and replied in a way that triggered backlash from Mahesh Babu’s fans.

A fan had written that “Ustaad Bhagat Singh” should break the box office records of Mahesh Babu’s films quickly. In the tweet, the fan used the nickname “Bob” instead of Mahesh Babu’s name. Harish Shankar, apparently not noticing the reference fully, replied that the wish was “granted.”

Soon after, screenshots of the reply began circulating online, with some Mahesh Babu fans expressing their displeasure. Realizing the situation, Harish Shankar deleted the tweet and issued a clarification.

Taking to Twitter, he explained what had happened.

“I only partially read a tweet and quoted it unemotionally. Within a minute, my team alerted me and asked me to read the tweet completely. I immediately realized the mistake and deleted it,” he wrote.

The director also emphasized that he holds great respect for Mahesh Babu.

“I have immense respect for Superstar Mahesh Babu garu. In fact, I have always believed that many records will be created in his name with Varanasi. This was an unintentional mistake with absolutely no intention to hurt him or his fans,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ustaad Bhagat Singh, starring Pawan Kalyan, is scheduled to hit theaters on March 19.