Telangana Film Chamber Has a Rich History, Mulls General Body Meeting
According to him, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1957 and largely consisted of Andhra-origin producers who had moved from Chennai to Hyderabad.
If sources are to be believed, the Telangana State Film Chamber of Commerce is reportedly planning to convene a general body meeting on Saturday to discuss and resolve several pending issues.
“The first item on the agenda is obviously the percentage system for Telangana exhibitors, which has been a long-pending demand,” says a source. He further adds that discussions would also focus on whether to accept or reject the resignation of Suneil Narang from the post of president. “If the resignation is accepted, discussions will then shift toward selecting a new president, since it is a crucial position that has to represent and address the concerns of Telangana exhibitors,” he says.
The Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce has over 1,000 members from different sectors, including distributors and exhibitors. “The organization was originally registered in 1941 during the Nizam era and covered 20 districts, including three from Maharashtra, three from Karnataka, and 10 from Telangana. It was then known as the Hyderabad State Film Chamber of Commerce,” the source explains.
He adds that during and after the Telangana movement, the name was changed to Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce and later received recognition from the Telangana government.
According to him, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1957 and largely consisted of Andhra-origin producers who had moved from Chennai to Hyderabad. “Now both are working together, but the Telangana Film Chamber remains the apex body for Telangana exhibitors, distributors and producers, and it will continue to hold its importance,” he says.
Pointing out differences in regulations between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he says, “Air-cooled theatres in Telangana are given permissions similar to air-conditioned theatres, whereas Andhra Pradesh classifies theatres separately as AC, air-cooled and non-AC. Different governments naturally have different rules and norms.”
However, he notes that many differences have gradually reduced and both chambers are now working together to resolve industry issues. “Even Andhra Pradesh exhibitors are demanding the percentage system, similar to Telangana exhibitors, and both sides are working in tandem,” he says.
He further claims that while producers have sought three weeks to arrive at a decision—possibly to allow the much-hyped Peddi to avoid being impacted—exhibitors appear less willing to wait.