The abrupt shutdown of cinema theatres throughout Andhra Pradesh is a hot debate subject, both in the film fraternity and political arena. Amidst all the furore is Satyanarayana, a well-known film exhibitor and Janasena Party leader who is now accused of being the mastermind behind the theatre closure. The Janasena Party then formally suspended him from party activities as a result of these accusations.
The tensions between them were further fueled after Dil Raju, the producer, alleged that Satyanarayana had stalled Pawan Kalyan’s movie ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ in a willful attempt. Counter to these allegations, Satyanarayana vehemently denied the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
He explained that the theatres closing decision was taken on April 24, long before the film release date of announced. In his view, the decision was in no way related to any film or actor.
Satyanarayana accused Dil Raju of misinformation and dared him to substantiate his accusations. He stated that he was committed to Pawan Kalyan, as a political well-wisher as well as an ardent fan.
“I have supported Pawan Kalyan right from the beginning, even in his political career. These are malafide attempts to bring a bad name to me,” he said.
The furore has added to fissures within the industry, reflecting underlying tensions between producers and exhibitors. Plenty of Janasena supporters came out to defend Satyanarayana, accusing the shutdown and cancellation of shows as part of a grand political game to kill the buzz around Pawan Kalyan’s movies.
Emotions are running high, and there’s an increasing clamor for coming together of the industry. Industry stakeholders — that is, producers, distributors, and exhibitors — are being appealed to join on a single platform and resolve the confusion and conflict.
While all eyes are now on Dil Raju’s next step and how the industry will deal with this increasing divergence, the Telugu film industry is on the brink of collapse.