The entry scene of your favourite star is the source of greatest joy for a fan. The bigger the star, the higher the anticipation and celebration around his entry. Telugu filmmakers have mastered the art of a great introduction scene, and every Telugu star’s filmography features introduction scenes that are the stuff of dreams for their fans. And it goes unsaid that a celebrated star like Pawan Kalyan has had numerous such scenes in his filmography, ranging from simple and classy ones like Thammudu (1999), Jalsa (2008) and Bheemla Nayak (2022) to out-and-out massy intros in films like Annavaram (2006) and Johnny (2003). Barring a couple of duds (I’m looking at you, Komaram Puli), Pawan Kalyan’s intros are a treat. As the actor turns 52 today, we look at 5 times such moments he set screens on fire.
Vakeel Saab – Coming out of exile
Hear me out. You might not have expected Vakeel Saab to be featured here but let me explain why this scene has every right to be labelled one of Pawan’s best introduction scenes. More than the scene itself, it’s the timing and its parallels with the actor’s real life that lend importance to this entry scene. Pawan’s previous release, Agnyaathavaasi, which carried unprecedented hype and was believed to be the actor’s final film appearance, crashed at the box office in 2018, breaking the hearts of his fans.
On the political front too, Pawan had beheld a major setback in the 2019 general elections. And then, he came back to the big screen with Vakeel Saab, as a washed-up but upright lawyer, Satyadev. His introduction scene features him coming out of the darkness into the light. What triggers him to do that? To fight hooligans forcing residents of a slum to vacate their houses. It’s not just Satyadev stepping out of his house, but Pawan Kalyan coming out of the self-imposed exile from films. Vakeel Saab, despite being a remake of Pink, doesn’t think twice before blurring the lines between Pawan’s real and reel-life persona. Even beyond these parallels, it is a solid scene, capturing the man’s return in one single, wide shot in slow motion, played to Thaman’s rousing background score.