Special Report :
The recent state divide has influenced the masses to react in individual ways. Yesterday marked a whole new day for the people of the then Andhra Pradesh – Now split into Telengana and Seemandhra. There have been multiple ongoing debates about how the current political scenario might affect the running of business in Telugu Film Industry. The land of idolism and craze for big stars that is hugely driven by constantly denied factors like region, community sentiment and caste – will now look towards how the change affects the commercials at Box office. While the stars have taken to social media expressing their genuine, politically correct and incorrect statements, a new debate takes over questioning if the films will be made in future that reflect the flavor of Telengana. We have seen many movies in the past that showcased the language and sentiments of this part of geography – be it the Telengana lingo, the community, the societal and cultural variations – all of these have been effectively created and recreated. From films like ‘Jai Bolo Telengana’, ‘Batukamma’, till the last flick of Nagarjuna, Rajanna, these films indeed connected with the section of masses here and appreciated.
Will the dynamics of the film making now change post the formation of a new state? Well, the film goers have a mixed reaction to that. Says Divya (name changed for privacy), a software engineer from a happening MNC in Hyderabad – “I hail from a family which is purely driven with Telengana roots, but that will not stop me from adoring the stars who speak Andhra and films that show Rayalaseema. I will stick to the original style and stars of Tollywood”. Saeed (name changed for privacy), another student from the city expresses – “I’m from an Andhra Muslim background but born and raised in Hyderabad. I’m an out and out Hyderabadi and for me, it does not make any difference whether we are called Telengana or Seemandhra now. Prabhas is my all time favorite and I’m eagerly looking forward to Baahubali. I don’t think this has got anything to do with my background. It’s just my own individual choice. There are many friends of mine who are proper Telengana and idolize Pawan Kalyan. How does it matter?”
The Telengana section of the region has also enjoyed the commercial flicks of stars like Mahesh Babu, Allu Arjun and Junior NTR. While none of these really matter to the taste and choice of a filmgoer, the film makers speculate anticipated trends. Given that the commercial profits indeed matter to the success at Box Office, are the directors willing to take a chance and make natively driven films in future? If yes, will the audience receive the shift, and how? Only time will tell us.
Deepa Balasubramanian – Team Chitramala
