Sri Reddy’s expose on Tollywood was the scandal of the month. The Movie Artiste Association (MAA), which was quick to decry the allegations, deny her membership and warn other artistes from sharing screen space with her, has now done a U-turn by softening its stance and informing everyone that there is no ban on taking Sri Reddy in their films.
Perhaps the reason behind revoking the ban is the criticism this move drew from the NHRC and the fear that Sri Reddy has vital information on many bigwigs in the industry who if exposed, stand to be shamed.
“First of all no one can ban an actress from acting in films. If they want to ban an actor, they should send messages to all MAA members and not reveal this in front of the media. This is where MAA made its first mistake. After this announcement, the actress leaked a picture of hers with a top producer’s son, which forced MAA to reverse its earlier decision,” reveals a source from MAA.
“We are not under pressure from any top person from the industry. Some people called us and asked to reconsider our decision. Initially, we all got emotional about the way she protested in front of our office and took a decision. After a few days, we changed our minds,” explains Sivaji Raja, MAA president.
However, word on the street is Sri Reddy has threatened to release some more pictures involving a top director and actor. Murali Mohan, ex-president of MAA and Member of Parliament, says these kind of problems have always been there.
“You should approach the organisation to solve your problem. If you don’t get a reaction, then you approach a few persons in the industry. But this is not the way to protest,” he says. “When I go to Delhi many people are asking me about the Telugu film industry and why people are doing this. What answer can I give them?” Murali further added. Tollywood industry is embarrassed as everyone, from Srikakulam to New York, is talking about Sri Reddy and her expose.
