Pawan Kalyan’s Johnny Movie Completes 23 Years

After delivering back-to-back hits like Tholi Prema, Thammudu, Badri and Kushi, Pawan Kalyan became a sensational star with a massive fan following. His unique style and powerful screen presence created a strong brand image. Following the blockbuster success of Kushi, fans eagerly waited to see what his next project would be. After a long gap filled with rumors, producer Allu Aravind officially announced Johnny in March 2002, starring Pawan Kalyan and Renu Desai, with a martial arts theme.

The expectations were sky-high as Pawan not only acted but also directed the film. He underwent a complete transformation-losing weight, changing his hairstyle and even traveling to Los Angeles and Japan to learn martial arts. Fans were thrilled with his new look and the film created a massive buzz. Music by Ramana Gogula became a big hit, adding to the hype. When the movie released on April 25, 2003, with more than 250 prints, fans flocked to theaters early morning. However, after watching the film, there was silence. The audience couldn’t connect with the emotional and slow narrative and many were disappointed.

Later, Pawan Kalyan openly accepted the failure of Johnny. He said failure is natural in creative fields and should not be feared. His brother Chiranjeevi advised him that he could have worked harder in the right direction. Pawan reflected that although he worked hard, it may not have been in the correct way. He also revealed that if Johnny had been successful, he might have quit films altogether. During that time, a book by Shishta Anjaneya Sastry influenced his thinking towards politics, which was given to him by his brother Nagababu. That phase played a key role in shaping his future path.