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Harish Shankar apologises to Mahesh Babu fans after ‘Bob’ tweet backlash ahead of Ustaad Bhagat Singh release
Telugu director Harish Shankar issued a public apology on social media after a hastily quoted tweet during Ustaad Bhagat Singh promotions was read as a slight against Mahesh Babu and his fanbase.
Director Harish Shankar at a promotional event. Shankar, known for blockbusters like Gabbar Singh and DJ: Duvvada Jagannadham, issued a public apology on social media
Telugu film director Harish Shankar has issued a public apology to fans of actor Mahesh Babu after a tweet he posted during promotions for his upcoming film sparked backlash online. The controversy began when a fan wrote that Ustaad Bhagat Singh should break the box office records of Mahesh Babu‘s films, referring to the actor by his nickname “Bob.” Harish Shankar, not reading the tweet in full, replied that the wish was “granted.” Screenshots of the reply circulated quickly, and the criticism from Mahesh Babu’s fanbase followed almost immediately.
Harish deleted the tweet and issued a clarification. “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.
In a detailed note posted to social media, the director explained the circumstances that led to the error. He wrote that the day in question had been especially hectic, involving a censor board meeting, a visit to the Peddamma Temple, post-production work, a song promo check and a session at music composer Thaman’s studio for the background score. He said he was replying to several messages at the same time and unintentionally quoted a tweet without reading it fully.
He was careful to state his position on Mahesh Babu directly. “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 said.
He also acknowledged the timing of the incident, noting that with his film releasing in just ten days, he had every reason to avoid such a misstep. “For a film to create records, it needs the love and support of fans from all heroes and families alike. I have enough common sense not to post such things when my film is releasing in just 10 days,” he said. He closed his note with a direct apology, saying that if the moment caused any hurt, he was sincerely sorry from the bottom of his heart, and appealed to fans to support the film.
Ustaad Bhagat Singh, starring Pawan Kalyan has been one of the most anticipated releases in Tollywood this year, and the incident drew wider attention partly because of how closely it came to the release date.
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The situation had created some tension around the film’s release, with a section of fans spreading negativity online before Harish Shankar’s clarification was posted. The response to his apology was largely positive, with many fans and industry observers accepting his explanation and moving on.
Neither Mahesh Babu nor his representatives responded publicly to the incident at the time of publication.
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