Makers Clueless Over Censor Board Objection to Title Chai Wala’?

According to industry sources, a Telugu film titled Chai Wala, featuring young actors Shiva Kandukuri and Teju Ashwini and directed by Pramod Harsha, has reportedly been stuck at the Hyderabad Censor Board for the last few days. “Censor officials are urging the makers to change the title ‘Chai Wala’. Otherwise, they will not complete the censor formalities or issue a certificate,” says a source. He adds, “The new-age film was slated for release on February 6, but now the makers are spending sleepless nights and are even unable to promote the film properly without an official title, which is unfortunate.”

The makers have reportedly spent over Rs 6 crores on the film and are clueless about resolving the deadlock, for no fault of theirs. “The film is neither political in nature nor does it comment against any political party or person. It is a simple story of a father and son. The father, played by Rajeev Kanakala, runs a Nawab Café in the Old City and serves hot tea, while the son, played by Shiva Kandukuri, has different ambitions. Their ideological clash and eventual resolution form the core of the film. Hence, the title is justified,” the source explains.

The makers even requested the officials to watch the film before taking a call on the title, but they are reportedly adamant about changing it. “They claim they are facing pressure from higher officials in Mumbai and New Delhi insisting on removing the title, without revealing any further details,” the source adds.

The team has been promoting the film for the last few months and has connected well with Telugu audiences. One of their recent promotional events was graced by Hyderabad City Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, who praised the film and said that tea has become an integral part of everyone’s life. “Police work under a lot of stress and pressure every day, and chai gives them some relief,” he said at the event. Niloufer Café owner Anumula Babu Rao also lauded the team, saying, “I rose to fame and fortune by selling chai, and I am happy that someone is making a film around it.”

However, with objections continuing, the makers are now rushing to find an alternate title, such as Nawab Café or something similar, to obtain the censor certificate and release the film on February 6. In the past, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmavati faced similar hurdles and was eventually retitled Padmavat, but such title-related controversies are rare for Telugu films.

When contacted, actor Shiva Kandukuri said, “It is true that censor officials have raised objections about the title, and we are looking for alternatives. We are keeping our fingers crossed to release the film as scheduled.”