Hyderabad (Telangana): Power Star Pawan Kalyan, who recently took charge as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, is simultaneously creating ripples in the world of cinema. His latest outing, They Call Him OG, is generating massive buzz in North America — the most lucrative overseas market for Telugu films.

With a week left before its grand premiere, the film has already raked in USD 1.85 million in advance sales, making it the seventh biggest Telugu premiere ever. Significantly, this figure surpasses Pawan Kalyan’s own 2018 film Agnyaathavaasi, which grossed USD 1.52 million from its premieres.

Expected to cross USD 2 million mark

Given the strong pre-release momentum, trade analysts are confident that They Call Him OG will comfortably cross the USD 2 million mark in the coming days. This milestone will place it in contention for a higher spot on the all-time Telugu premiere charts.

Currently, the sixth spot belongs to SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2 with USD 2.45 million, while the fifth is occupied by Prabhas’s Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire at USD 2.6 million. If Pawan Kalyan’s film continues this trajectory, it could soon join this elite club.

Second-highest of 2025 after Rajinikanth’s Coolie

For 2025, They Call Him OG already stands as the second-highest Telugu premiere collection in North America, next only to Rajinikanth’s Coolie, which earned more than USD 3 million from its premiere day screenings. This sets the stage for Pawan Kalyan’s project to emerge as one of the year’s biggest global hits.

Emraan Hashmi makes Telugu debut

The film narrates the story of Ojas Gambheer, an underworld don who resurfaces after a decade to reclaim his throne. His rise is challenged by a rival don, played by Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi, who marks his much-anticipated Telugu debut with this film.

Hashmi, in an interesting promotional twist, broke the fourth wall on social media by wishing Pawan Kalyan on his birthday while slipping into his OG character. Fans have hailed this crossover of Hindi and Telugu cinema as one of the year’s most exciting collaborations.

Directed by Sujeeth of Saaho fame

They Call Him OG is helmed by Sujeeth, best known for directing Saaho (2019), the first post-Baahubali film of Prabhas, which grossed over Rs 310 crore worldwide. Sujeeth’s slick style of storytelling, combined with Pawan Kalyan’s towering screen presence, has created sky-high expectations.

Conclusion

With its North American premieres already rewriting records and an action-packed storyline featuring Pawan Kalyan and Emraan Hashmi, They Call Him OG is positioned to be one of Telugu cinema’s most defining releases of 2025. Its strong box-office run is likely to elevate Pawan Kalyan’s stature not only as a political leader but also as a pan-Indian superstar.