The Iranian Embassy in Zimbabwe’s social media account made quite the bold claim on Wednesday. In a post on X, it said US President Donald Trump had apparently switched his movie preferences from Hollywood to Bollywood, trolling him over his threat at the UN to “annihilate” Iran. There was just one problem. The film used as an example of Trump’s supposed Bollywood viewing was actually a Telugu action film.
For context, while addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump, besides listing his achievements as president, presented Iran with two choices, annihilation or negotiation. “Do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly? Or, do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” Trump asked before delegates from across the world.
In response, the Iranian Embassy in Zimbabwe trolled the US President, theorising on X that his remarks might have been influenced by “watching Bollywood”.
“Trump talks about annihilating Iran. But he knows Iran is not defenceless,” the post said, adding, “Since we informed they have recently been watching Bollywood instead of Hollywood.”
The post ended with a clip of an action hero using a manhole cover to fend off hordes of Kalashnikov-wielding villains in an Indian action film — one that, according to the Iranian Embassy in Zimbabwe, Trump may or may not have been watching.
But while Bollywood produces its fair share of over-the-top action films every year, there was one problem with the Iranian embassy’s choice of clip. The footage was actually from Bhagavanth Kesari, a Telugu film.
The film blends high-octane commercial cinema with an empowering narrative. Directed by Anil Ravipudi, the film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna as the protagonist, Nelakonda Bhagavanth Kesari, alongside Sreeleela, Kajal Aggarwal and Arjun Rampal.
Built around Balakrishna’s signature mass elevations, powerful dialogue delivery and elaborate action sequences, the film follows Kesari as he tries to help his late friend’s daughter, Vijji, overcome her personal trauma and develop the mental strength needed to enlist in the Indian Army.
The film received critical and commercial acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 71st National Film Awards back in 2025. Its central theme, of a guardian helping a young woman build resilience and strength, reportedly inspired the underlying narrative of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s political action film Jana Nayagan.
Eagle-eyed individuals on X were, of course, quick to point out the Iranian Embassy’s Bollywood/Telugu mix-up.
“This is not Bollywood. It is Tollywood and Telugu film industry. They have the same relationship with physics and logic that Iran and the US have with each other,” wrote one person. “Player – Iran. Enemy – US. Playground – Zimbabwe embassy. Game used South Indian movie action scene. Language – Hindi. What a tactical move. Hail Iran,” wrote another.
In any case, this is hardly the first time an Iranian Embassy’s social media account has trolled the US President. As for whether Trump actually watches Bollywood or Telugu action films, that is harder to establish. Trump has previously spoken about watching Hollywood classics such as Citizen Kane, The Godfather and Goodfellas, but there is little public evidence to suggest that Bhagavanth Kesari is on his watchlist.
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