The Hyderabad Traffic Police have announced certain traffic restrictions not for a VIP visit, but for a movie event. Expecting a huge influx of fans and others to the pre-release event of Pawan Kalyan’s upcoming film Bheemla Nayak, which also stars Rana Daggubati and Nithya Menen, authorities have decided to divert traffic to accommodate the event.
Pawan Kalyan, who enjoys a massive fan following in the Telugu states, especially among the youth, had taken a brief hiatus from films since 2018 to focus on politics, as the chief of the Jana Sena Party. He made his comeback in 2021 with Vakeel Saab, a remake of the Hindi film Pink. With the release of Vakeel Saab just before the onset of the second wave of COVID-19, movie theaters which had remained shut for a long period and had seen sparse releases, were inundated with excited Pawan Kalyan fans. In Andhra Pradesh, a few theatres were even vandalised by self-proclaimed Pawan Kalyan fans to protest the cancellation of early benefit shows. The actor-politician, who belongs to the Konidela family and is the younger brother of Megastar Chiranjeevi, is now returning with the multi-starrer Bheemla Nayak, in which he plays the titular character, a policeman.
The pre-release event will take place on February 23, starting from 5 pm, at the 1st Telangana State Special Police (TSSP) Battalion grounds in Yousufguda. Police said in a statement that traffic congestion is expected in the area for around nine hours, from 2 pm to 11 pm on February 23 as a result of the heavy movement of vehicles.
Hyderabad Traffic Police said that the traffic will be diverted at the following places however necessary:
> Traffic coming from Maitrivanam will not be allowed towards Yousufguda checkpost and will be diverted at Savera Function Hall towards Krishnakanth Park - Kalyan Nagar - Satya Sai Nigamagamam - Kamalapuri Colony - Krishna Nagar - Jubilee Hills
> Traffic coming from Jubilee Hills will not be allowed towards Yousufguda checkpost and will be diverted towards Sri Nagar Colony - Satya Sai Nigamagamam etc.
The designated parking areas for invitees to the pre-release event are:
> Savera Function Hall
> Mahmood Function Palace
> Yousufguda Metro Station Parking
> Open ground opposite Savera Function Hall
> Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Stadium
> Government School, Yousufguda
The event, which was earlier scheduled to take place on February 21, was postponed as a mark of respect following the sudden demise of Andhra Pradesh Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy. "Our deepest condolences to the family & friends of AP Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy Garu on his sudden demise. As a mark of respect, the pre-release event of #BheemlaNayak won't be happening today!" Sithara Entertainments wrote on Twitter.
Hyderabad Traffic Police have specified that people attending the pre-release event must carry newly issued passes dated February 23, and that old passes dated February 21 will not be allowed to attend the event. The film, which will release in theaters on February 25, is the Telugu remake of the Malayalam film Ayyappanum Koshiyum.