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Strike paralyses Telugu film industry
The Telugu film industry has been paralysed due to strike by over 10,000 workers, who have been demanding hike in the daily wages, and smaller producers and directors seeking abolition of lease system of theaters.
Workers seek hike in daily wages and abolition of lease system of theatres
Hyderabad: The Telugu film industry has been paralysed due to strike by over 10,000 workers, who have been demanding hike in the daily wages, and smaller producers and directors seeking abolition of lease system of theaters.
Well-known Tollywood director Pratani Ramakrishna Goud has continued his hunger strike for the fourth day on Tuesday near Filmnagar Cultural Centre. Being a producer and a distributor, he said due to the lease policy, a handful of producers have taken the control of theaters denying profits to small-budget producers.
He also demanded early elections to the Film Chamber of Commerce, which were not being held regularly as per the rules.
Demanding government intervention, Goud said the mafia like group control over theaters should be stopped and the Rs 3 tax on each ticket should be removed.
R Narayana Murthy, a well-known film personality, also supported the strike of Pratani and said, “I have been fighting from 15 years for the removal of this policy. If government does not take proper steps, we will proceed legally.” The strike got sympathy of Telangana producers and distributors. The employees strike, however, hit the production in the city. Around shooting of 15 films, including big budget ones, were stalled because of the strike and there seems to be no breakthrough in the negotiations.
Sources said the issue of wages and working conditions has been going on between the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) and producers for nearly seven years but there was no solution in the sight. The workers were demanding Rs 850 per day from the present Rs 525. The producers have agreed to pay Rs 650. But the workers refused the offer and decided to continue the strike.
Telugu Film Producers’ Council general secretary T Prasanna Kumar said the industry was going through recession and there was not enough revenue to increase the wages of the workers.
“Demanding hike in the wages at this juncture is not possible,” Prasanna Kumar said.
