What is clear is that the message about who is the real boss, the real 'fire', has been conveyed loud and clear to the industry.
Revanth Reddy with Nagarjuna during a meeting with directors, producers and actors of Telugu film industry in Hyderabad on December 26.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 27, 2024 12:29 IST
It had all the ingredients of the closing scenes of a typical Telugu potboiler. The meeting of the Telangana chief minister with senior representatives of the Telugu film industry on Thursday ensured happy - and more appropriately, relieved - smiles on the faces of the biggies from Tollywood. The meeting, on the face of it, saw everyone smoking the peace pipe and seemed to have brought the curtains down on the three-week-long stand-off between the government and the film industry over the tragic Pushpa 2 episode.
The meeting saw Revanth Reddy playing Santa Claus in true Yuletide spirit, promising his government's support to make Hyderabad an international entertainment destination. A cabinet subcommittee will be formed to look into issues facing the industry. The chief minister elicited the support of the industry in promoting the Skill Development University and spreading awareness about drug abuse while reminding the representatives of the sops provided by Congress governments in the past. Having been at the receiving end of a verbal lashing from the chief minister in the Telangana assembly for visiting Allu Arjun after his release from jail, industry seniors were extremely happy with how the meeting went and termed it as a step in the right direction.
But would it be apt to say that the ‘The End’ credits have rolled on the big screen? Or “picture abhi baaki hai?” What is clear is that the message about who is the real boss, the real ‘fire’, has been conveyed loud and clear to the industry.
The choice of venue for the meeting was significant in itself. If senior representatives of the film industry, including actors, directors and producers, wish to meet the chief minister of the state, one would expect the meeting to be held either at the State Secretariat or the CM's office at his residence. But Revanth Reddy decided to meet the Tollywood honchos at the Integrated Command and Control Centre, the nerve centre of the Telangana police force. Given that the Hyderabad police has been at the heart of the friction with Allu Arjun, whose special show of Pushpa 2 at Sandhya theatre on December 4 caused the death of a woman due to asphyxiation and the hospitalisation of her son, the optics of the venue of the meeting was not lost on anyone.
Two, the meeting saw the attendance of two prominent personalities who have been in the news, directly or indirectly, for having crossed swords with the government. Senior producer Allu Arvind, the father of Allu Arjun, was conspicuous by his presence. As was superstar Nagarjuna, whose N-convention, a fancy convention hall, had been demolished in August by the authorities on charges of encroachment into a water body. Not only that, Nagarjuna had also dragged the state's Endowments Minister Konda Surekha to court, filing a defamation case over her comments on his son, Naga Chaitanya and former daughter-in-law Samantha and linking their divorce to BRS leader KT Rama Rao. Despite an appeal by the Telangana Congress chief to put the controversy to rest after Surekha withdrew her comments, Nagarjuna has not yet withdrawn the case.
Today Nagarjuna felicitated the chief minister, signaling at least for public consumption that the first step towards a possible rapprochement had been taken. Allu Aravind too emerged from the meeting, endorsing the Chief Minister's Hyderabad dreams.
Three, industry seniors have realised the perils of getting caught in political crossfire. When KT Rama Rao tweeted in support of Allu Arjun while taking potshots at Revanth Reddy, the industry ought to have distanced itself. By not doing so and letting BRS leaders fight fire on its behalf, the industry stepped on political landmines in what is Congress vs BRS territory.
Four, Revanth Reddy reportedly made it clear at the meeting that there are no celebrities in the eyes of the law and no one would be allowed to break any rules laid down by the law-enforcing agencies. The industry has therefore been told in black and white that in the era of ‘RRR’ - Revanth Reddy Rule - it would have to follow the rules of the game, like anyone else.
What does the meeting then mean for the Allu Arjun case?
Till 48 hours ago, the police were contemplating approaching the Telangana High court to cancel the interim bail granted to Arjun on grounds that he had violated its conditions by holding a press conference. Having interrogated Arjun for four hours on Tuesday, all eyes will now be on the stand the government takes in court. That will give a hint to the script of the real-life sequel to Pushpa.
(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)
Published On:
Dec 27, 2024
English (US) ·