There is no industry today, it’s only individuals

It has been a ritual for the film fraternity to celebrate Darsakaratna Dasari Narayana Rao’s birthday on a grand note and it would be no different today at his palatial house in Hyderabad. However, for Dasari, birthdays are always meant to do something out-of-the-box. Felicitating his producers and technicians last time around, he would be announcing the winners of the short film competition that he has conducted, today. “We’ve got 170 entries and we shortlisted 40 films among them. Another committee scrutinized the 40 films and came up with the final list. Top three films and their directors would be felicitated on Sunday,” he says, while adding, “The amount of talent these kids possess is pleasing. I have no doubts that they would bag national awards one day.”

Known to be critical with the way small-budget films are not getting their due, he feels that the industry should follow Tamil Nadu, where there are equal opportunities for both small and big films. “Producers who have infrastructure and exhibition facilities are making films for their own expediency. They have a particular (popular) date in mind to release their film and on dates that are not favourable to rake in the big moolah, they are releasing films of their kin. So, small producers have no choice but to keep postponing their films. There is no industry today, its only individuals. Existing for namesake is Chamber and its associated bodies,” he laments.

Now that the State is divided into two, he foresees bifurcation affecting the industry in the long run. “Industry was in Madras till 90. Only after the then chief minister Chenna Reddy assured us some sops in writing, we shifted to Hyderabad. In 1991, around 90 per cent of the films were shot in the city. Ramoji Film City too played a key role in putting the city on the international map. Today there is no need for the infrastructure to be developed across Andhra Pradesh but tomorrow the need might arise,” he feels.

On the filmi front, Dasari has three films to look forward too. While his much-hyped project ‘Vaddikasulavadu’ has been put on hold, he would be producing a film promoting Arun Babu again. “We purchased the rights of a Malayalam film ‘Neram’. A thriller, it is a story told from morning to evening. My associate Ravi Kumar will helm it. Then there is ‘Pitru Devo Bhava’ and another film which I will direct,” he shares.

On the alleged irregularities in allocation of Talabira-II coal block, Dasari was questioned by the CBI recently. When quizzed, he says no minister has the right to allocate coal blocks. “The screening committee, the highest committee for allocating coal blocks, consists of secretaries from power, environment and industrial sectors. It is headed by the coal secretary. He also gets help from chief secretaries of all coal-based states such as Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Orissa, Maharastra, AP and Jharkhand. In total, more than 36 IAS officers constitute to oversee the allocation of coal blocks. They announce the applications and it is they who scrutinize the applications. After deliberate consultations, they send the recommendations through a Minister of State for Coal to PM, who has the final say. Since I was the MoS then, CBI met me for my statement. I have no doubt that I would come clean,” he signs off with optimism.