The stampede at the Pushpa 2 premiere at Sandhya Theatre has reignited tensions, with voices from Telangana, including those from statehood agitation stronghold Osmania University (OU), calling for the Andhra-dominated Telugu film industry to pack up and relocate to Visakhapatnam by next month.
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At a news conference Wednesday, former OU law faculty dean Gali Vinod Kumar slammed Arjun for ignoring the need to visit “the victim family of a Telangana bidda (son/daughter)” referring to M. Revathi, who died at Sandhya Theatre, and her 10-year-old son, who has been battling for his life in a corporate hospital since the night of 4 December.
“Arjun didn’t care to console personally nor did he think of giving adequate compensation until our OU students pelted his house with stones. We are supporting the OU JAC (Joint Action Committee) students’ act. If the Telugu film industry refuses to mend its ways, we’ll call for another round of agitation as witnessed during the statehood movement,” said Gali.
On Sunday, a group of OU students allegedly resorted to vandalism at Arjun’s plush Jubilee Hills residence.
Arjun, who had earlier announced Rs 25 lakh in aid to the family, hiked his contribution to Rs 1 crore Wednesday while Pushpa director B. Sukumar and producers Mythri Movie Makers gave Rs 50 lakh each.
The former professor said a student-led agitation would be launched and would persist until “these Andhra people leave Hyderabad”.
“You cannot loot us any further. You should pack up and relocate to Vizag by Sankranti (in mid-January). What’s stopping you when the AP government has been inviting you to set up shop there?”
Alleging that Andhra people are suppressing Telangana talent in films, the former law teacher claimed they had no legal rights here “as the 10-year common capital period is also over”.
He said that land allocated to Annapurna Studios owned by the Akkineni Nagarjuna family and Ramanaidu Studios (of the Daggubati Venkatesh/Rana family) and Ramoji Film City were given at a throwaway price by earlier governments so that locals would get jobs.
“We don’t need Telugu; we are concerned only about Telangana. In all the 24 crafts, locals should have an 85 percent claim. We will give you a 15 percent quota along with all other language film industries,” said Gali, who claims he is unconnected with any political party but has contested polls earlier.
When asked by ThePrint whether his statement might stoke regional sentiments against Andhra-Rayalaseema people, Gali said, “Of course, our argument, fight, based on Telangana sentiments, is for astitvam (identity), jobs, our long-due share in land and resources.”
Reacting “to the volatile statements”, Chakravarthy Nalamotu, chair of AP Tomorrow, a civil society platform, said such “ill-logical deportation threats if endorsed by the government, should be extended to the IT and pharma industries, of which Hyderabad is a hub too.”
“Then only will such enthusiastic people understand what will remain of Brand Hyderabad here,” Nalamotu, a native of Telangana’s Nalgonda, told ThePrint.
He said Andhra-Rayalaseema people—from entrepreneurs to employees—are present in much larger numbers in the IT and pharma sectors in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, apparently irked by Arjun’s Saturday press conference refuting Chief Minister Reddy’s allegations of brash and inhumane behaviour, Congress Nizamabad Rural MLA Bhoopathi Reddy questioned the actor for contradicting their leader.
“Khabaddar (be warned), if you utter one more word against our CM. You are an Andhra-wala who came for a livelihood here, so behave like one. I am warning you as a ruling party MLA,” Bhoopathi told reporters.
Speaking in the state assembly, the chief minister alleged that Arjun attended the Pushpa 2 premiere at Sandhya Theatre despite police denying permission and behaved “inhumanly” towards the victim’s family by failing to visit them.
In response, Arjun held a media briefing the same day, calling the remarks “character assassination by spreading misinformation”.
The Congress MLA also said that while Tollywood’s leading stars visited and consoled Arjun following his release on bail, none of them visited the victim’s family, which he believed was an “affront to public sentiments” in Telangana.
However, popular actor Jagapathi Babu, who played a key role in Pushpa 2, denied the claims, saying he had visited the injured boy in the hospital but did not publicise the visit.
Criticising Arjun for portraying characters like a red sanders, or red sandalwood, smuggler in Pushpa 2, the MLA issued an open warning: “We are not against the cinema industry, but you should behave, especially when referring to our CM, or else we won’t allow your movies to run in future in Telangana.”
No enmity with Arjun, my duty to enforce laws, Revanth says
In a meeting with about 45 Telugu film industry leaders on Thursday morning—including actors Murali Mohan, D. Venkatesh and A. Nagarjuna, producers Allu Aravind (Arjun’s father) and Suresh Babu, and top directors Raghavendra Rao, Trivikram and Koratala Siva— Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said he wanted the industry to prosper.
Noted film producer Venkata Ramana Reddy, also known as “Dil” Raju, who was appointed Telangana FDC chairman this month “to coordinate between government and film industry,” acted as a mediator during the meeting. Raju is one of the few prominent figures in Telugu cinema native to Telangana.
While Chiranjeevi was conspicuous by his absence in the meeting in the wake of the controversy surrounding his nephew Arjun, the Konidela family was represented by young stars Varun and Sai Dharam Tej.
The meeting primarily aimed to address growing differences between the industry and the Congress government, especially over the last few weeks, sparked partly by cinematography minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy’s statement in the assembly last week that no more benefit shows or ticket price hikes would be allowed.
A press statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that industry heads “brought their problems to the CM’s attention, shared doubts, misconceptions and ideas”, leading to the decision to form a cabinet sub-committee to resolve industry issues. The industry will also form its own committee for the purpose.
Regarding the Arjun issue, Revanth reportedly said he had no personal enmity with the actor, who he has known for many years.
“As the chief minister, it is my responsibility to enforce laws. I do not have any personal preferences,” Revanth, who kept the home and law and order portfolios, said, according to the CMO statement.
He reiterated his government’s support for the film industry on par with the IT and pharma sectors.
Revanth also said that since taking office, his government had issued special orders and provided incentives for eight films.
“Police grounds in Hyderabad were also given for the Pushpa 2 pre-release event,” the chief minister added. “Previous Congress governments did a lot for the development of the film industry here and ours will continue the legacy.”
FDC chairman Raju dismissed any talk of a rift between the government and Telugu film industry and assured that they would meet the chief minister again to advance their growth plans.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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