Curious case of Telugu cinema...

It was February, 2010. I wrote a full page article for a newspaper I was working for, on stereotypical films being made in Telugu film industry.I lynched story writers and heroes on lack of creative ideas. In the article, I quoted film producers who suffered massive losses in the past one and a half year.The article won appreciation from friends and colleagues.

Tired of continuous work, I decided to take a break from Tollywood for a week.Me and my friend decided to backpack to Haridwar, Rishikesh and Gangotri. At Delhi, we got on to a Uttarakhand state transport corporation bus to Haridwar.All sorts of people were in this bus.Dhant Manjan sellers, astrologers, second hand electronic goods sellers, baba followers, engineering students,firangs in search of salvation...all headed to Haridwar for the Kumbhmela.

After gazing at each of them for some time for some entertainment, I fell asleep.The bus passed through the dusty roads of Uttarpradesh and Uttarakhand.The fabric of people traveling in this bus started changing from midly violent to aggressively intolerant as the journey progressed.

I woke up at a dusty stop for chai .That small town seemed to have had half of the dust in the world.It had the power to instantly kill an asthma patient. Beyond the dusty road, I could vaguely see a theatre and people lined up.I was curious to see which hero's film did these people line up for.

I got off the bus and walked closer to the theatre.I saw the posters of the movie up for screening.I rubbed my eyes to re read it.I was surprised.It had Junior NTR, Genelia and Shriya Saran on the poster.The title was 'Main Hoon Gambler...' something i vaguely register.It referred to NTR as 'He-man fighter'. I was bowled over.

For the next half of the journey, I saw posters of Mahesh Babu, Jnr NTR, Gopichand, Allu Arjun, Jagapathibabu and Srikanth in several small towns that passed by.The posters had obscure titles.Most of the titles had Khiladi, Chor, Raja, Khatra, Sikandar as common words.

In many seven seater autos I got into at Rishikesh or Haridwar, fellow tourists from Maharashtra and Rajasthan played 'Aakalesthe Annam Pedatha..','Adhara kottu...' 'Aa Ante Amalapuram'...on their music players.

I didn't find a logical answer to why direct and dubbed Telugu films appealed to these people.The reach of our dubbed films was wider than I had imagined.On one hand the industry suffers huge losses and on the other she wins new admirers up north ..I continue to wonder if we are progressing or regressing.


At one of my family functions in Karnataka later last year, 'Ringa..Ringa' was hot favourite.At NIFT campus in Hyderabad dominated by Bihar students , Ringa Ringa is campus anthem. On my journey to Hassan district, I striked a conversation with a waiter in a road side eatery.He and his friends had hired a truck to attend Chiranjeevi's party launch rally in Tirupati two years ago.

In another incident, my colleague's cousin from Kerala travelled all the way to Hyderabad just to see Allu Arjun at a public meeting.

Every time I see Uttarpradesh lining up, Orissa and Rajasthan sway for mass Telugu numbers, Uttarakhand poster up our heroes and Karnataka taken over by Telugu cinema, I feel proud. The cynic in me dies.The victim of bad films in me forgives.The critique of cliche content calms down.


We are an industry of N T Ramarao, ANR, S V Ranga Rao. Of Vittalacharya, LV Prasad, Nagireddy, C Pullaiah. Of Bhanumati, Savitri, Dasari, Shobhan Babu and Krishna. Of Ghantasala, SP Balasubramaniam, Susheela, Janaki and Jikki.Of Bapu, Vamsi, Jandhyala and EVV. Of Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Balaiah and Venkatesh. Of Sharada, Satyanarayana, Rao Gopal Rao, Paruchuri and Bramhanandam. Of RGV, Jayapradha, Jayasudha, Sridevi and Vijayashanti.Filmnagar houses an endless list of brand ambassadors who ventured into newer places and conquered them. She has more market to exploit, more fans to win, more territories to occupy and boundaries to expand.

With 30 heroes,30 comedians over 1,200 screens and 210 films an year she looks larger than Bollywood.

What I like the most about Telugu film industry is its innocent love for the medium of cinema. After Anaganaga Oo Dheerudu, this industry has not stopped making films. After Veera, they have not gone out of business. After Saleem, they haven't sat home. After Marocharitra the production houses didn't shut down. KSD Appalraju didn't stop distributors from buying films. Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi film industries may be equally or more talented than Telugu cinema in a few ways but can never match her in her entrepreneurial spirit.

However, I have mixed feelings about Telugu film industry's future.When I look at box office collections of superhit films, I am optimistic of Telugu cinema's future.When I think of the monopoly in film exhibiting system in Tollywood, I am pessimistic.Hundreds of theatres are in the hands of five people.Of the 30 heroes, 25 are from film families.Industry unfortunately works on 'Caste'ing rather than on 'Casting'.This monopoly is dangerous for a creative industry.Telugu cinema is a fan driven industry and movies are hero centric as against story centric.We need to graduate to being 'audience' driven industry with story as the hero if we have to uphold the glitz of her golden past.


Every time she is bruised with an utter flop and I am worried of her,Telugu cinema tells me

"Don't worry a Magadheera will soon be born to save me.I will continue my Dhookudu again.... I am Telugu cinema...Neninthe!!


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An Enigma called Pawan Kalyan!!

Months after I stopped blogging thanks to my laziness, I decided to write again.The motivation was Pawan Kalyan's 'Panjaa' audio launch.
Before you could conclude me as Pawan Kalyan fan, let me disclaim:I have been a biggest critique of Pawan until what I saw at the audio launch of his film 'Puli'.
I remember driving down to HICC Convention centre in Madhapur to cover the audio launch.It was a lazy day.I wasn't too excited but was curious to see Pawan Kalyan. A kilometre before HICC, I saw a huge group of youngsters walking.
As I reached closer to HICC, the groups started getting bigger.By the time my car reached the main gate of the venue, the crowd size was unbelievable.I wondered who they were and why they all walked and where to.

The first major shock hit me when a few of them peeped into every car that passed by.A lot of them were not allowed to enter the main gate. Cops pushed them away to make way for cars entering the venue. After the security check, I parked my car and walked towards the main entrance.What I saw then was unforgettable.Thousands of youngsters stood in the line to get into HICC.I boast myself as a journalist who covered hundreds of events.I have never ever seen something like this.

Public relations head Mr.B A Raju spotted me looking at the crowd bewildered.He escorted me in.I was still dazed and wide eyed unwilling to believe that so many people could come for a hero who hasn't had a big hit for a long time.A youngster found press pass in my hand and came up to me.He requested me to give him the pass.I explained that it was no more valid because I am already inside.He said he wants to go back to his hometown Vizianagaram and flaunt it in his village.I asked him if he really came from Vizianagaram for this audio launch.He nodded and there was no need for him to lie to a stranger like me.Bang, second shock!

As I entered the hall, I was in third stage of Power shock.The auditorium was full.A R Rahman had just arrived.When his arrival was announced, the crowd cheered and that sound strolled me back to reality from the shock.The then Chief Minister Rosaiah was to be the chief guest for that event.

Even as the compere was struggling to find space between the screams of the audience to announce something, the LED screens in the hall showed Pawan Kalyan's entry.
What followed then blew my mind off.For the next ten minutes, I could only hear 'Power star... Power star'' and something that sounded like a wave.I looked back at the crowd and found most of them standing on their seats trying their luck to find Pawan Kalyan walking in.
Minutes later Chief Minister Rosaiah came in.After the usual 'oh this is a great movie' lines, CM Rosaiah said, 'I am a fan of Chiranjeevi'.For the next few minutes CM couldn't talk.We only heard a massive wave sound again.This was an experience to experience.I looked at other journalists and raised my eyebrows.

Pawan Kalyan spoke and there I was armed with pen and notepad scribbling every line he said.His speech had honesty, something I never found in most actors in Tollywood.
I found him genuine and realistic.There was no pretence, no fake words, no arrogance, no deceit, no false praise.It was straight from the heart.For someone who was sick of stereotypical film speeches praising themselves and their unbearable films, his speech came as a pleasant surprise.He left the venue.I walked back to my car and as I drove towards the main gate of HICC, I found people peeping into my car.I realised whom they were looking for.

For most other stars, box office success matters because they are rated on those parameters.For Pawan, it doesn't. Audience like him for something beyond his cinema.I guess it is honesty, sincierity in his eloquence and truth in his voice that most actors lack.He is one of the fewest stars who don't take stardom seriously.This attitude is perhaps a style statement in itself.

Puli came and went.It was a disaster.I ripped it apart. Months passed and then came Theenmaar.I went to Prasads to review the movie on the first day.
Nothing changed.The crowd, the cheers, the screams and the fans from across the state.Though I liked the film, I am told it was an average performer at the box office.Months passed...

And now as I see Pawan Kalyan at the audio launch of Panjaa I flash back to music launch of Puli.Nothing changed.The crowd, the cheer, his speech, the honesty, eloquence...
For me and many more journalists who track the lives of celebrities from close, Pawan Kalyan is and will remain an enigma, a riddle and an unsolved puzzle for long years to come....

As I ready myself to post this on my blog, I can hear Pawan Kalyan's voice.It is my roommate here in Washington DC glued to youtube video of Panjaa's audio launch...An enigma indeed!!