Can Telangana film industry survive?

We are one as ‘Tollywood’ for as long as most people connect to it in the spirit of Telugu. However, with a new state comes a new dawn. The dawn is for everything – opportunities, way of life, culture and a lot more. And the same dawn is what film-makers from Telangana are looking for in the industry as well. But is that what ‘Telugu’ film-makers want?

The Telugu film industry is one of the most prolific in the world of big screen entertainment. Catering to the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh, the industry has boomed without bounds and has forever been progressing. However, with nearly 100 years of Telugu cinema behind us, the Telangana region hasn’t really got its due and has been unable to make an impact. The Telangana flavour has failed to make its presence felt in the films and finally when it had, the dialect was used to lampoon characters, as an element of comedy or to show some negativity a la, a villain. Comedian Venu Madhav’s character in ‘Sye’ and Kota Srinivasa Rao’s negative role in ‘Gaayam’ are a few examples to name a few.

In spite of this, Tollywood has seen a larger share of its collections from the Nizam region, for the past three decades, with Hyderabad contributing a lion’s share towards it.

Also, over the years, while many artistes and technicians from the Seemandhra regions made inroads into the industry, technicians and artistes from Telangana got a raw deal. Even among renowned actors, except for Nithiin and Srihari, others failed to make an impact.

Amidst the furore of the new state, there arises a new question - Does Telangana need a film industry of its own? Yes, say people from the industry.

What exactly will be the ‘T’ film industry?

There have been several discussions about subjects from Seemandhra dominating the film scene and also how very few films with Telangana backdrop were being showcased. So the Telangana film industry will have more realistic subjects a la ‘Maa Bhoomi’, ‘Rangula Kala’, ‘Daasi’, ‘Jai Bolo Telangana’ and ‘Rajanna’ to name a few and the language, dress and culture would reflect the region, insist film-makers from the 29th state of India.

The ‘star’ quotient

The Telugu industry is mostly star-driven and the audiences are attracted to watch films with big names on the posters. With icons like Nagarjuna, Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu, NTR Jr, Prabhas and Allu Arjun among others ruling the roost, the focus again goes back to the fact that they all belong to the Andhra region.

What goes into making of a star from Telangana industry?

“Stars are born, not made,” says producer Nikitha Reddy, sister of actor Nithiin, the only star from Telangana who is giving his colleagues from Seemandhra a run for their money.

There is no dearth of talent from the region. Directors like Harish Shankar, Surender Reddy, Vamsi Paidipally and Nandini Reddy have made a mark in Tollywood. Producer Dil Raju is another name to reckon with from Telangana.

Is star the only criteria?

The industry, of late, has seen an emergence of small films, without any star’s involvement, minting money at the box-office. A case in point is director Shekhar Kammula who made successful movies devoid of stars.

“A star confines your options, hence you have to make movies to suit his image and his fans expectations,” says Allani Sreedhar, director of award winning film ‘Komaram Bheem’.

But director N Shankar, who made films like ‘Jayam Manade Raa’, ‘Sri Ramulaiah’ and ‘Jai Bolo Telangana’ says that the problem is with the allocation of theatres.

“Small movies find it difficult to get theatres and do not get the exposure they need,” he opines. So that makes one wonder if a star is necessary for a movie reaching an audience.

Tollywood is one

Niktha Reddy, however, feels that the bifurcation doesn’t mean that there is a requirement of a new industry. “We are the Telugu industry. Tollywood is one,” she avers. She further elucidates that it’s not the region but the talent that matters.

“We are accepting girls coming from Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and elsewhere. So why make a divide and distinction now?,” she says.

The government’s role

If the Telangana government is open to incentives and subsidies, there is a chance for the Telangana industry to grow rapidly, experts add.

Director N Shankar admits, “If the new government gives subsidies to producers who are making Telangana films, it will surely be a motivational factor.”

Vijayender Reddy, president, Telangana Film Chamber, a front runner when it comes to representing Telangana films, however, asks for a new Government Order (GO) that makes it obligatory for producers across the industry to hire a percentage of technicians from the region, to promote talent from the region. He says, “The GO should make it compulsory for all producers to have at least 60 per cent of team members from here. It’s only then that we can bring talent from here, resulting in the boom of Telangana industry.”

The open audience

The biggest doubt that lies is whether the audience, used to potboilers dished out by filmmakers who have their roots from Seemandhra, will accept this new kind of cinema?

“The answer is yes. Because audiences, in general, have an open mind and accept films if they have alluring content irrespective of the cultural essence of it. Films like ‘Jai Bolo Telangana’ and ‘Rajanna’ drew crowds in Seemandhra in spite of the Telangana flavour. It is the emotional content that people connect to. Don’t they watch dubbed Tamil and English films? This will be the same,” insists Allani Sreedhar.