Pawan Kalyan’s ‘They Call Him OG’ pulled overseas after fraud allegations against distributor

The excitement around Telugu superstar and Andhra Pradesh’s deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s soon-to-release film ‘They Call Him OG’ has been sky-high for many months. The action drama, which also features Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi, was ready for a massive worldwide release on September 25. Fans across continents had been waiting eagerly to watch Kalyan’s power-packed performance on the big screen.

But just 24 hours before the big day, trouble has shaken the release plans.

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In what has now become a storm of controversy, several overseas cinema chains and distributors have either cancelled or put shows on hold. The reasons range from delayed delivery of the film’s content to allegations of shady business practices.

The content delivery trouble

One of the first major complaints came from ‘4 Seasons Creations AS’, a well-known European distributor that handles Indian films in more than 30 countries. The company openly criticised the producers for delivering the movie’s content too late. This, according to their statement, left international screenings at risk.

With too much of frustration(Pressnote)#TheyCallHimOG pic.x.com/HvApV17N27

— 4Seasons Creations AS (@4SeasonCreation) September 23, 2025

Their statement on social media pulled no punches. It said overseas distributors have long been forced to bear the damage whenever films arrive late, despite paying huge sums in advance.

According to them, every delay not only costs money but also creates chaos with theater chains and fans who expect punctual premieres.

They asked a pointed question to producers: if audiences are already being blamed for not turning up at cinemas, how will things improve if even big-ticket films like ‘OG’ don’t reach theaters on time?

York Cinemas pulls out

If that wasn’t enough, the drama escalated in North America. York Cinemas, one of the largest Indian film exhibitors in Canada and the US, announced it was completely pulling out of ‘They Call Him OG’.

The company made some allegations. It accused the film’s distributor of unethical practices, including asking exhibitors to fake ticket sales. According to York Cinemas, these inflated numbers were meant to boost the brand value of future films under the “OG” banner, which could then dominate the South Asian movie market abroad.

⚠️ Press Release (Safety)#YorkCinemas #TheyCallHimOG#OGMovie #Update pic.x.com/xoLCVV5oEU

— York Cinemas (@yorkcinemas) September 22, 2025

York Cinemas also said it had worries about potential cultural and political risks tied to the film’s release in North America. In their words, there might be a compromise in public safety just for the sake of a big release.

Adding fuel to the fire, they claimed the distributor had spread false stories in Indian media about the financial deals between both parties. York rejected these claims and promised legal action if necessary.

The Sumanth Sunkara twist

The controversy took another unexpected turn when York Cinemas dropped a second statement. This time, they revealed that Sumanth Sunkara, a former partner at York until September 16, was no longer working with them.

The reason? According to York, Sunkara secretly took up a director’s position with ‘Prathyangira Cinemas’, another major distributor, while still having access to York’s confidential information. The company accused him of sharing sensitive details without permission, especially at a time when York was in talks with Prathyangira over new Telugu releases.

Despite the cancellations, the film will still release in India as planned on September 25.

Also Read: Prakash Raj and Arjun Das’ fierce looks revealed in Pawan Kalyan’s ‘They Call Him OG’