New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- Before he became one of Telugu cinema's biggest box office stars and entered active politics, Pawan Kalyan faced a difficult phase in his film career. A string of box office failures had raised questions about his ability to deliver another major hit.

Then came Gabbar Singh in 2012.

Directed by Harish Shankar, the action comedy gave Pawan Kalyan the comeback he needed. The film, a Telugu remake of Salman Khan's Dabangg, became a massive commercial success and brought the actor back to the top of the industry.

The timing was important. Pawan's previous releases, including Puli, Teen Maar and Panjaa, had failed to make the expected impact at the box office. His last major success had been Jalsa in 2008, leaving a ga...