Iran’s Embassy in Zimbabwe has responded to US President Donald Trump’s threat to “annihilate” Iran with a clip from a Telugu action film, joking that the US president has been watching Bollywood instead of Hollywood. The embassy shared a 58-second clip from the 2023 Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari, starring Nandamuri Balakrishna, on X. The post came after Trump’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, where he said he was weighing whether to strike a deal with Iran or “annihilate the Islamic Republic”.
“Trump talks about annihilating Iran. But he knows Iran is not defenceless. Since we informed them they have recently been watching Bollywood instead of Hollywood,” the embassy wrote alongside the video.ย There was, however, a cinematic mix-up in the post. Bhagavanth Kesari is a Telugu film, meaning the clip comes from the Telugu film industry, commonly referred to as Tollywood, rather than Bollywood, which refers to the Hindi film industry.
What happens in the film clip?
The scene shows Balakrishna’s character caught in an intense confrontation with a group of armed men. In the 58-second sequence, he uses what appears to be a manhole cover as a shield while facing gunfire. The dramatic scene then takes another turn as he mounts a gun but does not fire it, instead using large gas cylinders against the men on the opposite side.
The embassy’s post appeared shortly after Trump’s UNGA remarks, in which he presented what he described as a “big decision” over whether the US should pursue an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild or move towards annihilating the Islamic Republic.
Trump warns Iran of ‘annihilation’
Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said he faced a choice between reaching a deal with Iran and taking military action against the Islamic Republic. “I have a big decision to make,” Trump said, before outlining the possibility of a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild. He then asked whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and do it quickly.
Trump also said he believed a deal could eventually be reached, while maintaining that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
US and Iran hold three-hour talks
Despite the sharp rhetoric, US and Iranian officials also held talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Trump said his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were involved in a meeting with Iranian officials that lasted around three hours. He described it as a “very good meeting” and indicated that further discussions could take place.
The talks were conducted through Qatari mediation. Iranian officials, meanwhile, maintained that Tehran’s conditions for further engagement included measures such as lifting the blockade on Iranian ports and releasing frozen Iranian assets. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was also in New York for the UN General Assembly, where he was scheduled to address the gathering.
Trump open to meeting Pezeshkian
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump was open to meeting Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly. The diplomatic signals came alongside Trump’s public warnings, highlighting the contrast between the confrontational rhetoric and the ongoing attempts at negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
For now, the Iranian embassy’s Balakrishna meme has added an Indian cinema twist to an already tense US-Iran exchange, with the post drawing attention not only for its message but also for its unusual choice of a Telugu film while calling it “Bollywood”.
(With AP, AFP, ANI inputs)
Also read:
US, Iran held ‘very good’ 3-hour meeting at UN, says Trump after threatening to ‘annihilate’ Tehran