Right from the beginning, the Telugu film industry has been maintaining distance from the family of Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, for strange reasons known to it. YSR, too, did not entertain the Tollywood much, like attending film events etc.
His son, YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, too, has not shown much interest in the Tollywood activities, because it is located in Hyderabad.
This is despite the fact that Andhra contributes maximum revenue to the Telugu film industry. Even when any film-based events were held in Andhra, he did not attend them. But whenever some Tollywood personalities came to him, he welcomed them. Otherwise, ignored them.
It was only during the recent controversy over reduction of cinema ticket rates last year, non-compliance of rules by the cinema theatres and online cinema ticketing system proposed by the government, did the Tollywood came down on its knees and started lobbying with the Jagan government.
The Tollywood biggies made rounds to Tadepalli, met Jagan and requested for increase in ticket fares. Jagan, too, obliged their request after tough negotiations but with certain conditions. But now, the Tollywood felt the heat of increased rates and has voluntarily reduced the ticket prices.
When megastar Chiranjeevi went all the way to Jagan and spoke in a pleading tone, everybody criticised him directly and indirectly. But there was no such talk when the same Tollywood personalities used to meet Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
In fact, many Tollywood personalities had close relations the TDP when it was in power and the same is continuing even now. There is a talk in the industry that Tollywood had contributed big money to the recently held Mahanadu of the TDP at Ongole.
Many film personalities have been giving donations to the TDP; and there are reports that many of them have already started mobilising funds for the party for the next assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Interestingly, even Jana Sena headed by power star Pawan Kalyan, who is up in arms against the YSRCP government in Andhra, has also been getting donations from Tollywood.
Several Tollywood personalities have reportedly donated to Pawan’s programme to assist families of tenant farmers who had committed suicide.
But these donations are not being disclosed to public, though the money contributed by mega heroes was publicly announced. Apparently, the Tollywood personalities requested that their names should not be disclosed.
So, the Tollywood has by and large started taking anti-YSRC trend all over again. Though one section of it is still trying to maintain good relations with Jagan, others are deeply involved in anti-Jagan activities again.
