Telugu film industry headed for another strike? This is why producers are compelled to go ahead with it

While the entire world has set its eyes on Telugu cinema, the scenario is not so rosy as it seems in the industry. Apart from a few biggies, small/medium budget films have stopped drawing crowds to theatres and the overall success rate this year has been abysmal, to say the least. From ticket pricing issues to unrealistic remunerations of stars, many issues are bothering producers, distributors too.

Meanwhile, the industry is headed for another strike starting today, the second one in as many months. Reports suggest the strike is called by the producers, who are bearing the brunt of increased production expenses in the post COVID-19 era. The producers are coming together for a meeting later today to discuss a gamut of issues that need immediate attention.

However, not all producers are in agreement with the decision to go ahead for a strike, more so those who are backing films that are half done and are gearing up for a release in the coming months. The discussion among producers will be about bringing production expenses under control, come up with a practical solution for hiked star remunerations, to name a few.

Earlier in the second half of June, daily wage workers and other crew halted all activity in the industry until their remuneration was increased. The well-being of a producer is crucial for the survival of any industry and when their community itself is planning a strike, one must realise that the situation is going out of their hands. More updates about the strike and the meeting will be out today.

The only major release this week in the industry is Thank You, headlined by Naga Chaitanya and Raashi Khanna, directed by Vikram K Kumar. While distributors had pinned their hopes on Ram Pothineni’s The Warriorr last week, the film failed to impress even the actor’s loyal fans and critics alike. Karthikeya 2, which was to release this week, will now open in theatres across the globe on August 5.