Progressive Panel and Mana Panel Set For Clash in Chamber Elections

With elections to the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce scheduled for December 28, two major panels have been formed to contest posts across various sectors, including producers, exhibitors, distributors, and studios.

Noted producer Suresh Babu is leading the Progressive Panel, along with Dil Raju, Allu Aravind, Ashok Kumar, K S Rama Rao, Ravi Shankar Yellamanchili, Priyanka Dutt, and several other prominent members. The Mana Panel is being led by veteran producer and distributor Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao, along with C Kalyan, Prasanna Kumar, YVS Choudhury, and others.

“Both panels have popular names, and there appears to be a tough contest this time,” said producer Mohan Vadlapatla, adding that the elections are expected to be closely fought. “After electing chairpersons of the four sectors and 44 executive committee members from different groups, all 48 members will vote to elect the new president of the Telugu Film Chamber,” he explained.

As this year marks the turn of the exhibitors’ sector to hold the president’s post, leading exhibitor D Suresh Babu is expected to contest for the position. “D Suresh Babu was initially reluctant, but a few senior members met him recently and persuaded him to contest for the coveted post,” said a source. The elections are being held after a six-month delay, amid discussions on extending the tenure of the incumbent body.

Meanwhile, the Mana Panel is pushing for exhibitor Natti Kumar to contest the presidential post, ensuring the elections are not decided unanimously.

Earlier today, Mana Panel members addressed a press meet. Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao stated that the Chamber elections would be held on Sunday and stressed the need for unity among the four sectors. He alleged that over the past decade, the film industry had gone out of control.

He accused certain producers of functioning arbitrarily under the banner of the Producers Guild, claiming that cine workers were made to run around for nearly 20 days without any response. He alleged that Guild members stalled film shootings and acted selfishly, prioritising photo opportunities with Chief Ministers over the welfare of the industry.

Chadalavada further claimed that the cine workers’ issue was resolved within 24 hours only after the intervention of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, even though the Chamber should have handled it independently. He alleged that small heroes were not being allowed to survive and that issues related to digital service providers Qube and UFO were ignored, causing serious problems. He said the Mana Panel, comprising small producers, would remain accessible to members even at midnight.

Another panel member, C Kalyan, criticised the Guild’s campaign under the banner of the Progressive Panel. He said pamphlets spoke of heritage and self-respect, but alleged that the group functioned purely for personal benefit. He maintained that they had always been accessible to small producers and would continue to support them.

Kalyan recalled that two years ago, they had supported the Guild leadership at Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao’s request, but alleged that once in power, the leadership failed to deliver.