Regional rift widens in tinsel town

The newly formed Telangana Movie Chamber of Commerce contemplating to deny voting rights to Andhra natives in decision-making

Hyderabad: It appears to be getting tougher for the newly-formed Telangana Movie Chamber of Commerce to establish itself only with members of Telangana origin, and they want to take in members of the fraternity from Andhra Pradesh, but with a rider – non Telangana natives will not have a say in taking key decisions. According to sources, the entrenched Andhra lobby including producers, exhibitors, distributors and studio-owners will not have ‘voting rights’ in the new chamber, in an apparent move to scuttle the hegemony of Andhra filmmakers.

Usually, in any trade body, every member is entitled to vote to elect their office-bearers, but the newly-formed Telangana chamber wants only Telangana-born filmmakers to have control over various trade bodies, and therefore they are understood to be mulling the idea to deny voting rights for non-local members but still do business with Andhra lobby.

“We are discussing the idea to deny voting rights to Andhra lobby and we'll implement it. We would like to work with Andhra lobby but decision-making power should rest with Telangana film fraternity. We formed this new chamber to give more weightage and powers to Telangana film fraternity. So, only locals will have voting rights,” said Sana Yadi Reddy, president, Telangana Movie Chamber of Commerce, who feels that Andhra-domination in decision-making should end to enable the growth of Telangana film industry in the new State.

The chamber comprises of four sectors - studio owners, theatre owners, distributors and producers - and a majority of the existing infrastructure lies in the hands of Andhra-born filmmakers but new Telangana Movie Chamber wants to break it and give opportunity to Telangana filmmakers to slowly establish themselves in all the four sectors.

“Right now four studios in are run by Andhra natives and also around 180-theatres out of 400-odd theatres in Telangana region are owned by them. Hundreds of active producers and distributors hail from Andhra Pradesh, so this lobby should be weakened. Only Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao can do justice to Telangana filmmakers by cutting down the influence of Andhra lobby in Tollywood and make it a level-playing field,” said a source, in the chamber.

Vijayender Reddy, vice-president, Telangana Movie Chamber of Commerce, concurs with the source that majority of infrastructure lies in the hands of Andhra lobby, “They have been making Telugu films for the last few decades and gradually made their investments in infrastructure and have big stake in Tollywood but in the new State, Telangna filmmakers have to get their rights and deserving place,” said Vijayendar Reddy.

“We have sought legal opinion on this voting right issue since it is a good measure to keep them away from decision-making. Since the government has not come up with guidelines on nativity issue, we are just waiting for legal opinion,” he added.

By B V S Prakash