Bharat Bhushan Appointed Chairman of APSFTDC; Nandi Awards Likely to Return
Industry circles believe the appointment comes at a crucial time, especially with reports that the Andhra Pradesh government is planning to revive the prestigious Nandi Awards. The awards, which honour excellence in Telugu cinema, have remained discontinued for more than a decade.
The Andhra Pradesh government has appointed P. Bharat Bhushan as the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation (APSFT&TDC), signalling its renewed focus on the development of the film, television, and theatre sectors in the state.
Before taking up this prestigious position, Bharat Bhushan, a noted producer and distributor, served as the President of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce until December 2025. Members of the film industry have welcomed the appointment and expressed confidence that his experience and industry connections would help strengthen ties between the Telugu film fraternity and the Andhra Pradesh government.
“We are happy that Bharat Bhushan has taken over a key post. It will help in connecting Telugu film bigwigs with the Andhra Pradesh government on various issues,” said a producer.
Industry circles believe the appointment comes at a crucial time, especially with reports that the Andhra Pradesh government is planning to revive the prestigious Nandi Awards. The awards, which honour excellence in Telugu cinema, have remained discontinued for more than a decade.
“Following the success of the Gaddar Cine Awards in Telangana, the AP government is reportedly keen on reviving the Nandi Awards this year. Bharat Bhushan’s appointment could be a step in that direction,” said another producer.
Now, the proposed revival has generated excitement within Tollywood. “It would be celebration time for the film fraternity since the present dispensation is quite friendly towards the Telugu film industry, since Nandi Awards were considered prestigious and respected by the Telugu film fraternity,” the producer added.
Members of the industry are also urging the government to introduce subsidies and incentives for quality films to further strengthen Telugu cinema. “We request the government to provide subsidies for good films and incentives to boost Telugu movies. Location charges in Andhra Pradesh are comparatively lower than in Telangana and, in some places, almost free,” he concluded.
