Superstar Pawan Kalyan shared that he was deeply influenced by Naxalite ideology at one point and even attended some public meetings.
Updated: June 11, 2026, 3:50 PM IST
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Pawan Kalyan (PC- YouTube)
Before becoming the superstar and politician he is today, Pawan Kalyan had once considered taking a completely different path in life. The actor-turned-politician, who is currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, recently revealed that he was once drawn towards Naxalism and believed that taking up arms was the only way to fight for justice. During a conversation with Smita Prakash on ANI’s podcast, Pawan Kalyan shared that he was deeply influenced by Naxalite ideology at one point and even attended some public meetings.
However, he said his elder brother, actor Chiranjeevi, stopped him from going down that path. Kalyan explained that he was deeply affected by the state of the world during that period and was filled with anger over various issues. As a teenager in the 1980s, several major global events had a strong impact on him, including apartheid in South Africa, the LTTE movement in Sri Lanka, which had repercussions in Chennai, the Cold War, Germany’s internal crisis and the Khalistani insurgency in India.
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Pawan Kalyan wanted to pick up a gun
“I even entertained getting into the Naxalites. One point in time, when I was in my late teens, yes. Yes, I wanted to pick up the gun. That’s when my brother pushed me into something more constructive. He said, where is that mad rage coming from? I said, I’m talking about injustice, we should go do this and that. He was very worried. It lasted from 17 to 21. That’s the age you can jump in,” revealed Pawan.
He further explained that he once believed taking up arms was the only solution to every problem. During that time, he would quietly attend public meetings with students, where no one recognised him. He also travelled to Mumbai to participate in short film festivals and make documentaries.
The actor-turned-politician admitted that while he was exploring different paths in life, he was unhappy from within. He felt trapped, overwhelmed and filled with anger during that phase.
Pawan Kalyan shared that it was during this phase of his life that his elder brother stepped in and guided him. “He said only one thing. If your brother is not Chiranjeevi, if you have responsibilities towards your family, if someone is dependent on you based on your salary and hard work, would you do the same thing? I could not answer. I didn’t have an answer, I kept quiet,” said Pawan.
Pawan Kalyan said that after this conversation, he chose the path of spirituality and later joined acting classes.
Talking about his career, Pawan Kalyan made his acting debut in 1996 with the film Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi. However, he gained his first major success with the 1998 romantic drama Tholi Prema.
In 2025, he appeared in films like Hari Hara Veera Mallu and They Call Him OG. His film Ustaad Bhagat Singh was also released this year. It has been reported that Pawan Kalyan has teamed up with director Surender Reddy for an upcoming untitled project.
