From ‘Bhavadeeyudu Bhagat Singh’ to ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’: Harish Shankar shares the story behind the change

Published on Mar 2, 2026 6:00 PM IST

From ‘Bhavadeeyudu Bhagat Singh’ to ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’: Harish Shankar shares the story behind the change

Published on Mar 2, 2026 6:00 PM IST

UBS

Many are aware that Pawan Kalyan and Harish Shankar’s second collaboration was initially titled ‘Bhavadeeyudu Bhagat Singh.’ The star actor was supposed to play a college professor, but the script was later reworked, and now Pawan Kalyan plays a cop.

In a recent promotional interview, Harish Shankar explained why the film underwent significant changes right from the scripting stage, even after the title was officially announced. He said, “In Gabbar Singh, Pawan garu appears in a cop uniform for the majority of the film. This time, I wanted to try something fresh, and hence I began the story with a college backdrop. However, fans expected another Gabbar Singh-style mass entertainer from us.”

Harish added, “We do get influenced by social media. Gen Z audiences asked me what ‘Bhavadeeyudu’ means. If the title itself isn’t understood, how will people get excited? Pawan garu did like the title. But fans wanted more mass elements, which didn’t fit well into the initial story. That’s when I felt we needed a stronger characterization, and that’s how Bhavadeeyudu Bhagat Singh transformed into Ustaad Bhagat Singh with a powerful cop role.”