The Telugu film industry, popularly known as Tollywood, has come to a grinding halt after the Telugu Film Employees Federation called for an indefinite strike. The strike follows a prolonged standoff between the Federation and the Telugu Film Producers Council and Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce over a demand for wage revisions.

The Federation, representing over 10,000 workers from 24 departments—including set workers, costume assistants, lighting crews, and other key technicians—is demanding a 30% hike in daily wages, currently set at ₹1,400. They argue that the rates have remained unchanged for the past three years, impacting thousands of livelihoods.

Speaking on the matter, former Federation General Secretary Rajeswar Reddy said, “Despite multiple meetings with producers, there has been no real progress. We’ve waited long enough. Now, our workers will not report to duty until our demands are met.” He added that producers often spend crores on top-tier technicians but fail to support the base-level workforce that keeps the sets running.

Several major film shoots, including big-budget productions and web series, have been forced to pause as workers across all 24 categories join the strike.

In response, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce issued an official statement condemning the Federation’s action. “The Federation is unilaterally demanding a 30% wage increase. We are already paying wages that exceed the minimum wage laws for both skilled and unskilled labor,” said K.L. Damodar Prasad, Honorary Secretary of the Chamber.

The statement added that the strike would result in severe losses for producers and disrupt production schedules across the board. It urged producers not to enter into independent agreements with any unions and to wait for a collective resolution.

While the Chamber maintains that it is working with authorities to find a sustainable solution, the Federation remains firm in its stand. They have rejected the producers’ offer of a 5% hike and are demanding a written commitment confirming a 30% wage increase.

Until then, the Tollywood workforce remains off the sets, holding firm for what they believe is a long-overdue pay revision, marking a significant moment of unrest in the Telugu film industry.