Hyderabad, January 06: CHIEF Minister K Rosaiah’s apprehensions that Tollywood might shift base lock, stock and barrel to Chennai in the wake of repeated shooting disruptions caused by T-protestors appear far-fetched to many. But is the situation so bad as to warrant a complete pack up? Expresso spoke to some of Tollywood’s leading lights to check out their reading of the political crisis and its fallout.
“Moving out of Hyderabad won’t be that easy. All the infrastructure is here.
This Telangana agitation will be resolved soon. So I see no reason why the industry should be shifted to any other place,’’ says director SV Krishna Reddy.
It took a lot of coaxing and incentives to bring the Telugu film industry from Chennai to Hyderabad in the 70s. Having built on that, Hyderabad is now home to an impressive film infrastructure comparable to the best in the world.
“Definitely, there is confusion and nervousness.
Historically, the film industry has preferred places where it is comfortable.
Business for the entertainment industry depends on audience. We make films for Telugu-speaking people and it does not matter where they are,” says a very pragmatic producer Suresh Babu.
But it is Tammareddi Bharadwaja, the director known for his candid views, who hits the nail on the head: “If the agitation continues for a long time, we might think of shifting Tollywood to some other city or State. But right now, I don’t think it is necessary.’’ A well-known producer in Tollywood, who prefers to remain anonymous, concurs with this view. “Shifting the base is not possible and it is too early to comment.
But one thing is certain, if the agitation continues, Telugu film industry is capable of building its own foundation anywhere in the country,’’ he asserts.
On an average, 15 movies are released every month in the State and January is crucial. Traditionally, several big-budget films are scheduled for release around Sankranti. But there have been no releases in the past one month. Therefore, about 25 movies are lined up for release this Pongal. Tollywood producers, who incurred a loss of more than Rs 50 crore this season, are hoping that the situation will be back to normal after the talks in Delhi. Release dates of the movies will be announced only after observing the outcome of the Delhi talks. “Currently, the situation is bad in the Telangana region due to the bandhs and agitations. If the outcome of the Delhi talks goes against the expectations of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, collections will drop there as well. We hope there will be peace in the State,” says Vijendar Reddy, a member of the AP Film Chamber of Commerce, giving a perspective on the catch-22 situation the industry faces ahead of the harvest festival.
–Agencies