Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan gives the first clap at the muhurtham of Chiranjeevi's 158th film. (Photo: KVN Productions)On a Thursday morning in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan walked into a film pooja ceremony, picked up a clapperboard, and sounded the first shot for his elder brother Chiranjeevi’s 158th film. For most people in the room, it was an occasion for celebration. For Chiranjeevi, it triggered the memory from 30 years ago.Shortly after the muhurtham of his new film, tentatively titled Mega158, the 70-year-old megastar posted a note on X. Sharing photos from the pooja ceremony, he wrote, “As I see the clapboard positioned between Kalyan Babu and myself today… I am reminded of an occasion 30 years ago when this very scene played out in reverse, during the making of Tholi Prema (originally titled Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi). Thank you for taking the time, despite your duties as Deputy Chief Minister, to attend the muhurtham ceremony of my 158th film, for sounding the clap, and for bringing joy to every member of the film unit.”ఈ రోజు కళ్యాణ్ బాబుకి, నాకు మధ్యలో క్లాప్ కనిపిస్తుంటే…30 సంవత్సరాల క్రితం ఇదే సీన్ రివర్స్లో జరిగిన సందర్భం గుర్తుకు వస్తోంది – “ అక్కడ అమ్మాయి ఇక్కడ అబ్బాయి “ఈ రోజు డిప్యూటీ సీఎం హోదాలోటైమ్ తీసుకుని వచ్చి, నా 158వ సినిమా ముహూర్తంలో పాల్గొని, క్లాప్ ఇచ్చి… pic.twitter.com/HGBENbRtlp— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) May 21, 2026What Tholi Prema meant to the ‘Mega’ familyTo understand why Chiranjeevi reached for Tholi Prema as his reference point, you have to understand what it represented in Pawan Kalyan’s life. By the mid-1990s, Chiranjeevi was the undisputed number one of Telugu cinema, a star whose dominance had lasted more than a decade. His younger brother Pawan Kalyan was trying to find his footing in the same industry.Pawan had debuted in 1996 with Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi, earned notice for his martial arts but not yet the kind of reception that changes a career. The films that followed showed promise. Then came Tholi Prema in 1998. The film was a blockbuster at the box office and is considered a breakthrough for the actor. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu, six state Nandi Awards, and was featured in the Indian Panorama section at the 30th International Film Festival of India. It is still, nearly three decades later, the film most closely associated with who Pawan Kalyan is.Also Read: Ram Charan underwent 3 body transformations for Peddi, is in pain: ‘I can’t lift my daughter’The significance of Tholi Prema is not lost on Pawan Kalyan himself. On the night of June 4, 2024, when election results confirmed that Jana Sena had won all 21 seats it contested, he told the crowd that he had felt he won only twice in his life: the first time was Tholi Prema, and the second was the mandate the people had given him that day.Mega158Mega158 marks Chiranjeevi’s second collaboration with director Bobby Kolli, following Waltair Veerayya. The film is being produced by KVN Productions. The technical crew includes cinematographer Vijay Karthik Kannan, composer Thaman, and production designer Avinash Kolla. Antony L. Ruben is the editor. Malayalam actress Anaswara Rajan will play Chiranjeevi’s daughter in the film.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:ChiranjeeviPawan Kalyan