Director Harish Shankar, who attended the trailer launch event of Thiruveer’s upcoming comedy film Papam Prathap, publicly acknowledged the failure of Ustaad Bhagat Singh for the first time, marking a significant shift in his stance.
Ustaad Bhagat Singh, starring Pawan Kalyan, was released in theaters on March 19, 2026, with massive expectations among fans. Despite the hype, the film failed to meet expectations and emerged as a disaster at the box office.
From Defense to Acceptance
Following the film’s poor performance, Harish Shankar initially defended Ustaad Bhagat Singh and claimed it was his best film, stating that he had matured as a writer with this project. He even compared it favorably to his earlier blockbuster Gabbar Singh. However, at the Papam Prathap trailer launch event, the director finally accepted the reality.
During the event, when the anchor addressed him as “Papam Harish,” Shankar humorously revealed that he initially thought the phrase referred to his last film’s failure to connect with audiences. He later realized the anchor had prefixed “Papam” to all guests’ names to match the film’s title.
This public acknowledgment comes after weeks of refusing to accept the film's box office disaster, despite mounting criticism from fans and industry observers. The admission marks a turning point for the director, who had been steadfast in defending the content quality of Ustaad Bhagat Singh even as collection numbers told a different story.
Harish Shankar Announces ETV Win Collaboration
On a more positive note, Harish Shankar revealed an exciting new venture at the same event. He announced a collaboration with ETV Win as both writer and producer, describing it as the perfect platform to tell stories that face commercial barriers on the big screen.
The director expressed enthusiasm about exploring content-driven narratives without the constraints of theatrical commercial demands. This move to the OTT space could give Harish Shankar the creative freedom to experiment with stories that may not fit the mass masala template. ETV Win is expected to officially announce this partnership soon.
