{
  "id": 9479472,
  "title": "Iran mocks Trump with Balakrishna’s ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’ clip — but there’s a Bollywood twist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/iran-mocks-trump-with-balakrishnas-bhagavanth-kesari-clip-but-theres",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T03:02:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/iran-mocks-trump-with-balakrishnas-bhagavanth-kesari-clip-but-theres-a-bollywood-twist-1.500685835"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dubai: The Iranian Embassy in Zimbabwe sparked a mix-up by sharing a 58-second clip from the 2023 Telugu film Bhagavanth Kesari in response to US President Donald Trump’s warning to \"annihilate\" Iran. The 2023 action drama, directed by Anil Ravipudi, stars Nandamuri Balakrishna and Kajal Aggarwal. The clip showed Balakrishna’s character in a dramatic confrontation with armed men. The embassy wrote: \"Trump talks about annihilating Iran. But he knows Iran is not defenseless.\" However, a notable error was the film's classification. Bhagavanth Kesari is not a Bollywood movie but a Telugu-language action drama set within the Telugu film industry. Social media quickly pointed out the mix-up, as the film is known for its action sequences and has gained popularity among Indian audiences.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Iran has taken an unusual pop-culture route to respond to US President Donald Trump’ s warning to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic, sharing an action clip featuring Telugu superstar Nandamuri Balakrishna. The Iranian Embassy in Zimbabwe posted a 58-second clip from the 2023 film Bhagavanth Kesari on X, shortly after Trump’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly. The intense scene…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Haaretz",
        "title": "Gulf states seek diplomatic breakthrough with Iran - but Trump holds the key",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/gulf-states-seek-diplomatic-breakthrough-with-iran-but-trump-holds",
        "published": "2026-09-24T03:00:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}