Sehwag Revels in South Indian Cinema After Retirement, Jokes About Leisure Time

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag recently shared his passion for South Indian cinema at an event in Hyderabad. He participated in the launch of the Tollywood Pro League (TPL), a unique blend of cricket and film entertainment for the Telugu industry.

During the event, Sehwag expressed admiration for stars like Mahesh Babu, Allu Arjun, and Prabhas. “My favorite Telugu actor is Mahesh Babu. I like Allu Arjun, Prabhas as well... I've watched Baahubali several times. Now that I'm retired, I have ‘nothing to do,’” he joked.

Though he enjoys these films, Sehwag prefers to watch them in Hindi due to his limited understanding of Tamil and Telugu. He even humorously quoted a famous line from Pushpa, “saala jhukega nahi” (I won’t back down), and playfully recited it in Telugu with the host Nikhil.

The TPL launch was hosted by producer Dil Raju and also featured cricketers Kapil Dev and Suresh Raina.

Sehwag’s words reveal his admiration for the major icons of Telugu cinema. Mahesh Babu recently starred in Guntur Kaaram (2024) and is currently filming SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, which includes Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. Allu Arjun rose to fame with Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and is now shooting the highly-anticipated Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024). Prabhas is well-known for Kalki 2898 AD (2024), which grossed over ₹1,042 crore globally, and is gearing up for several projects including The Raja Saab, Spirit, and Fauzi.

Sehwag’s enthusiasm for films highlights a fun-loving aspect of the cricketer, demonstrating that even after his cricket career, he continues to relish life through cinema.