Pawan Kalyan’s furious speech during the pre-release event of Republic has become the hottest topic in the Telugu film industry. The actor-turned-politician lashed out at the Andhra Pradesh government, alleging foul play on various issues related to the film industry, including the rolling out of the online sale of cinema tickets.
While several Andhra Pradesh ministers condemned Pawan for his allegations and countered his charges, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has issued a clarification. In a press statement, the body said what Pawan had expressed were his personal views and not those of the industry.
TFCC Vice-President Mutyala Ramadass feels that the stage Pawan chose to raise issues related to the industry was not the right one. He also expressed surprise at the language the Attarintiki Daredi star used.
“Although in a way we are happy that Pawan raised questions related to the film industry, I thought it was certainly not the stage for such remarks. Since he is also a politician, he should have spoken about political matters on a different platform, and not on a cinema platform,” Ramadass said.
“Pawan’s intention was good but his execution wasn’t; perhaps he should have spoken with more dignity,” Ramadoss felt. The film industry seems to be divided over Pawan’s speech. While one segment is glad that he raised the industry’s problems, another segment feels he should have made a polite request to the Andhra government (like his elder brother Chiranjeevi did a few days ago at the pre-release event of Love Story).
Meanwhile, Ramdass noted that thousands of people depend on the film industry and as such, the TFCC had brought several issues to the notice of the Andhra Pradesh government. “They have responded positively and if the issues are resolved, the livelihood of film industry workers can be revived,” he said, adding that the film industry needs the support of both the Andhra and Telangana governments.
Ramadass stressed that film industry bodies try to work hand-in hand-with governments. “As much as we are trying to resolve various film industry issues, we also believe that the issues have to be solved amicably and on a long-term basis,” he concluded.
