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Tollywood directors camping in Mumbai

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Indian cinema witnessed drastic changes and regional films of Telugu and Kannada are currently dominating all the languages. Bollywood is currently in a disastrous phase and none of the recent films minted money. Even the top stars are left embarrassed by the theatrical numbers. Several top filmmakers are currently in a hunt for the Telugu directors after the debacles of Bollywood biggies. Harish Shankar is currently in Mumbai and he is in talks with Salman Khan after his film with Pawan Kalyan is delayed or shelved. Mythri Movie Makers have arranged a meeting and the film will get to track if Harish Shankar locks the final script.

Arjun Reddy director Sandeep Vanga shifted his camp completely to Mumbai and he has two biggies lined up. He is directing Animal with Ranbir Kapoor and he will soon direct Prabhas. Puri Jagannadh delivered a disaster like Liger but he is keen to do a film in Hindi. He is working on a script and he is meeting several Bollywood filmmakers. Saaho fame Sujeeth signed deals with two Bollywood production houses and one among them may start next year. RX 100 fame Ajay Bhupathi has been approached by a couple of top Bollywood filmmakers and the discussions are going on. Several other Telugu directors are receiving offers from Bollywood filmmakers and some among them are camping in Mumbai and others are juggling between Hyderabad and Mumbai.

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Tollywood producers burning pockets for Tamil Actors

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After the coronavirus pandemic, there is a huge vacuum in several film industries. Several Tamil actors have been looking towards Telugu films and filmmakers. Our over-enthusiastic producers have paid whopping amounts as advances and locked Tamil stars. Actors like Vijay, Dhanush, Sivakarthikeyan and others signed straight Telugu films. The filmmakers estimated high profits considering their Tamil markets. But as the stars collaborated with Telugu directors, the businesses are not so great for these films. The asking price for the theatrical rights is quite lesser than their regular market and quotes.

This turned out to be a shock for the filmmakers who are making films with Tamil stars. Their Telugu theatrical market completely depends on the buzz and the trailer. For now, there is no clarity about the exact pre-release business. Vijay has charged Rs 110 crores for Vaarasudu and the film should end up as a super hit to end up as a safe project. Mythri Movie Makers also paid a huge advance for Vijay and Atlee is on board to direct the film. Dhanush is charging Rs 25 crores per film. His recent films did not do well and he managed to release too many films this year. Sir is gearing up for the December release. Sivakarthikeyan’s Prince is struggling for buzz even after the actor scored a series of super hits. For now, Tollywood producers are burning their pockets by signing films with Tamil stars.

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Tollywood Financiers imposing new rules for Producers

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Gone are the days when the Producers dominated the Financiers and Distributors of Telugu cinema. With a lot of cash crunch and financial crisis in the market post-pandemic, the financiers are now ruling Tollywood. Most of the producers depend on finances to produce films. Some of the financiers have closed doors after the pandemic and there are few options left for the producers. Tollywood financiers are now imposing new rules that are turning a stress for the producers. There is no chance of borrowing full finance for the producers like in the past.

The financiers are now ready to lend only 50 percent of the budget for the makers depending on the lead actor and the director. If there is any risk, no financier is ready to lend money for the film. Even Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu faced a bitter experience and the shoot got delayed due to the financial hurdles. The shoot will resume this month as all the hurdles got cleared. This alone says that big films too are not an exception for the financiers. They are not ready to shell out huge money and land themselves in trouble.

Tollywood distributors too are not ready for big bets. They are ready to pay and release the films on an advance basis and there would be no non-refundable advances in the coming future. Megastar Chiranjeevi’s God Father too released on an advance basis in most of the territories of Andhra Pradesh. The calculations of Tollywood changed post-pandemic and the entire risk falls on the film’s producer. All those who are producing multiple projects should be extra cautious and calculative considering the market, business and other financial factors.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Tollywood should learn from the team of Ponniyin Selvan

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The Telugu pre-release event of the first installment of Ponniyin Selvan, the dream project of legendary director Mani Ratnam took place last night in Hyderabad’s JRC Convention Centre. Tollywood producer Dil Raju is releasing the Telugu version of Ponniyin Selvan and his team made grand arrangements for the event. The entire team of Ponniyin Selvan reached the event at 7 PM and the event got concluded at 9 PM. Not a single bouncer was spotted around the team. This never happened in any of the recent Tollywood events. The guests and the audience are surprised with the time sense and dedication of Ponniyin Selvan.

The entire cast including Sarathkumar, Vikram, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Jayam Ravi, Vikram Prabhu and others were present for the event. Mani Ratnam missed the event as he is busy with the final copy of Ponniyin Selvan. Suhasini and AR Rahman are the special attractions of the evening.

When it comes for the Telugu events, the guests and the audience are kept in waiting mode for hours. The lead actor walks in to the auditorium at 9 PM when the event was scheduled to take place at 7 PM. Too many bouncers and a mad rush spoil the atmosphere. Special AVs will be screened and the anchor posts multiple updates about the arrival of stars. They also need caravans placed near the auditorium. These are not found during the event of Ponniyin Selvan. This event should be a lesson for Tollywood stars.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

National Cinema Day: A Lesson for Filmmakers

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Post-pandemic, there are debates going on about the film ticket prices across the country. The ticket prices are hiked in some of the states and a section of audience are hesitant to watch the films in the theatres. Marking the occasion of the National Cinema Day, the film tickets are sold for Rs 75 across the major multiplexes and the single screens in the country. A record number of 6.5 million filmlovers watched films across the country yesterday which is a record. This makes it clear that the audience are interested to watch films and the high ticket pricing is a major barrier. Some of the theatres screened 6 AM shows and they are packed with audience.

While the North Indian belt strictly implemented the Rs 75 pricing, the plexes in the South ignored it. In the Telugu states, no multiplex or single screen sold tickets for Rs 75. Some of the multiplexes in Hyderabad sold the tickets for Rs 112 plus taxes. The Multiplex Association of India issued a statement that September 23rd is the highest attended day of the year by the film lovers. 65 lakh people watching films on a single day is really an achievement.

The Tollywood filmmakers should wake up and plan flexible, low ticket pricing. The National Cinema Day is clearly an indication that the audience are ready to watch films if the ticket prices are low. It is an eye-opener for filmmakers.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Analysis: Producers Vs Distributors in Tollywood

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There was a drastic change in the business of films after the pandemic. The non-theatrical deals have increased for every established actor of Telugu cinema irrespective of their success streak. The producers have made huge money through the biggies. Several hit films like Pushpa: The Rise, RRR and Sarkaru Vaari Paata left the distributors in losses though they are declared as hits. This is because of the huge asking price from the producers. For films like Radhe Shyam, Acharya, Ghani, Thank You, The Warrior, Ramarao On Duty and Liger, the distributors lost big amounts. The distributors are no longer interested to make non-refundable payments for any film in the future. Most of the producers did not keep their promises because of which the distributors took this drastic step. There is a huge gap between the producers and distributors financially. Here are some of the incidents that took place in the recent months:

Dil Raju who is a distributor-friendly producer too did not keep his promise. He asked his buyers to pay hefty amounts for F3 and the buyers lost in some of the areas. Dil Raju did not repay the losses and he kept calm about the same. It is then his distributors revealed that they would pay nothing for Thank You as the film carried low buzz. After F2, all his films Iddari Lokam Okate, Jaanu, Rowdy Boys ended up as flops and left the buyers in huge losses. Dil Raju missed several deadlines in the past.

Mythri Movie Makers are producing several biggies. After Uppena, films like Pushpa: The Rise, Sarkaru Vaari Paata, Ante Sundaraniki and Happy Birthday released. All these films left the buyers in huge losses. Mythri promised to repay the losses for Pushpa: The Rise but they never compensated for the same. They promised to adjust the same in Sarkaru Vaari Paata but it did not happen. Instead, Ante Sundaraniki increased the losses for the buyers. All the distributors informed the production house that they would release their films on an advance basis in the future and are not ready to take a risk.

Acharya is the biggest flop of Telugu cinema. Koratala Siva who is responsible for the business is yet to compensate the buyers after months. They are just left in waiting mode for the refunds. This is very pathetic.

Sudhakar Cherukuri of SLV Cinemas delivered four flops like Padi Padi Leche Manasu, Virata Parvam, Aadavallu Meeku Joharlu, Ramarao On Duty. His last two films Virata Parvam and Ramarao On Duty were released on an advance basis. He needs to repay huge amounts to his buyers. He now sold out the theatrical rights of Nani’s Dasara for a new buyer as a package. All his distributors are furious against the young producer for his move. He promised to compensate for the same but no one knows when it would happen.

Liger is a huge loss for everyone involved. The distributors are left in shock and Puri Jagannadh is in talks for the compensation.

After a series of incidents, there is a considerable gap between the Producers and Distributors of Telugu cinema. They are now ready to release any film on an advance basis and are not ready to release them on NRA system. Films like Bimbisara, Sita Ramam and Karthikeya 2 which are released on an advance basis left everyone in profit. This would be implemented for every film in the future.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

One more strike sign for Telugu cinema

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The Tollywood Producers called off the film shoots and they came to a halt for the entire month of August. Before resolving all the issues, the producers decided to resume the shoots because of the financial stress and stakes involved. The Producers Council and the Producers Guild revealed that they would meet further and finalize the other issues to be resolved. The workers of 24 crafts of Telugu cinema have been demanding a hike in their wages. With the Producers tight-lipped about this, they decided to head for a strike from September 15th.

They have served notices to the Producers Council that they would head for a strike if the issues are not solved and if their wages are not hiked. Several top producers have met today in the Film Chamber and are discussing about the issue. More details awaited.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Tollywood actors shock Producers on their new Move

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The Tollywood Producers kept the film shoots on hold for a month and they have decided to implement their new plans. The character artists who are charging a bomb are asked to pay the expenses of their staff and travel on their own. The Producers also decided to pay them a fixed remuneration instead of paying them on a regular basis. The discussions are on for the ongoing projects and the films that will commence shoots soon.

Most of the character actors have now been demanding huge remuneration as a package after the new rules are imposed by the Producers. This turned out to be a new headache for the producers. Without taking any individual decisions, the producers are in plans to meet once again about these fat paycheques. The personal expenses of the staff have reached the skies already. Most of them are demanding special food and transport to the shooting location. To cut down these expenses, the producers stepped out with this move but this turned out to be a new headache for filmmakers.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

BJP woos celebrities to consolidate base in Telugu states

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Looking to expand its base in Telugu states, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to woo celebrities to its fold.

As part of these efforts, BJP national president J. P. Nadda will be meeting actor Nithin and former cricketer Mithali Raj here on Saturday.

Nadda is likely to meet Mithali Raj at Novotel Hotel near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad around noon.

After landing at the airport, the BJP leader will halt at the hotel before leaving for Hanamkonda to address a public meeting to mark the culmination of the third phase of Praja Sangrama Yatra of party’s state president Bandi Sanjay.

The BJP chief will meet Nithin at the same hotel in the evening after his return from Hanamkonda. Nadda is likely to request the actor hailing from Telangana to enter politics.

Nithin Kumar Reddy, who is known in film circles as Nithin, hails from Nizamabad district of the state. He made his debut in 2002 with ‘Jayam’ and won the award for best male debut-south for his performance.

Mithali Raj, one of Indian cricket’s all-time greats, retired from international cricket in June this year. Born in Rajasthan, she lives in Hyderabad.

During her 23-year international career, she scored 7,805 ODI runs in 232 matches, at an average of just over 50. She also scored 2,364 runs in 89 T20Is, as well as 699 runs in 12 Tests, including a century and four half-centuries.

Nadda’s meeting with two celebrities comes less than a week before union home minister Amit Shah’s meeting with popular actor Junior NTR at the same hotel.

Shah had called on Junior NTR on August 21 after addressing a public meeting in Munugode Assembly constituency, which fell vacant after the resignation of Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. The Congress leader joined the BJP at the public meeting.

Though BJP leaders claimed that politics was not discussed during Shah’s meeting with NTR, it’s no secret that the saffron party is in search of some charismatic faces to woo the electorate and consolidate its base in the two Telugu states, especially in Telangana where Assembly elections are due next year.

Junior NTR is the grandson of N. T. Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR, the legendary actor, founder of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Junior NTR, who has emerged as a pan India actor with his recent movie ‘RRR’, is one of the top stars of Tollywood with a mass following in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He had campaigned for Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP in 2009 elections but remained away from active politics.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

September releases struggling for Buzz

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Liger is the next Tollywood film for which the audience are eagerly waiting for. The film is releasing tomorrow and a successful August comes to an end with Liger for Tollywood. A heap of small and medium budget films are testing their luck in September and the release dates are announced. Unfortunately, none of the films are carrying decent buzz and they are in struggling mode.

Vaisshnav Tej’s Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga is releasing on September 2nd. The trailer was out recently but it fell short of the expectations. Jathi Ratnalu director Anudeep is presenting a small film First Day First Show and the film too is carrying low expectations. Satyadev and Tamannaah starrer Gurthunda Seethakalam is releasing on September 9th. Most of the audience are not aware about the film and its release. Kiran Abbavaram’s Nenu Meeku Baga Kavalsinavadini too is releasing on the same date and the makers are promoting the film.

Sharwanand who is struggling for success will test his luck with Oke Oka Jeevitham. The film sounds to be an emotional entertainer and the audience are not much interested about the film. None of the promotional content was impressive. Ranbir Kapoor’s Brahmastra is also releasing on September 9th. Vishal will test his luck with Laththi and the film releases on September 15th. Sudheer Babu and Krithi Shetty starrer Aa Ammayi Gurinchi Meeku Cheppali is releasing on September 16th. Regina and Nivetha Thomas starrer Saakini Daakini
will be in theatres on 16th.

Sree Vishnu’s Alluri will release on September 23rd. Naga Shaurya’s long-delayed own film Krishna Vrinda Vihari too will release on 23rd. Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: Part-1 will release on September 30th. For now, none of the films are carrying terrific buzz and are kept in the watchlist of the audience among the September releases. We have to wait to see if they will change with the trailer of the films and the promotional content.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Tollywood shoots to resume from September 1st

It has been more than three weeks since the shoots of Telugu films are kept on hold. A series of meetings are held on a regular basis and the Tollywood producers decided to resume the shoots from September 1st. The Film Chamber and the Producers Council will grant permission to resume the shoots for some of the films from August 25th considering the emergency. Several key decisions are taken and the Producers will announce the taken key decisions on August 30th through the media.

There are decisions taken on the remunerations, OTT release dates, VPN charges in theatres, ticket price flexibility and how to bring control on the film budgets. Tollywood is all set to get back to track after a month’s break. Some key agreements will be made before the shoots will resume. The Producers held meetings with all the crafts of Telugu cinema after which the decisions are made.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Photos: Producers Press Meet

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Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Top Multiplex chain heading for Bankruptcy

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Cineworld Group, the owner of Regal Cinemas is in plans to file bankruptcy after they are struggling to retain its legacy in the theatrical market. The multiplex chain was shattered because of the pandemic and Regal Cinemas failed to return back to track. Regal Cinemas is a London-based cinema company and its lawyers advised the process of bankruptcy. Their shares plunged badly on Friday after the reports were out.

The stock of the company came down by 63 percent. Cineworld Group is expected to file a Chapter 11 petition in USA and an insolvency proceeding in the United Kingdom. A team of consultants and lawyers were engaged to initiate the process of bankruptcy. Cineworld has 9000 screens in ten countries of the globe. The ticket sales are down by more than 30 percent when compared to before the pandemic. The net debt of Cineworld stood at 8.9 billion USD by the end of 2021.

The distributors of USA are now worried as there are a lot of pending dues. The upcoming film Liger too will be impacted in USA as Regal Cinemas is the second biggest multiplex chain of the world.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Crucial Developments in Producers Guild Meetings

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The Active Producers Guild and the Producers Council of Telugu cinema called for a strike and all the shoots of Telugu films are put on hold. There are a lot of discussions and developments from the past few days. The strike is in its third week and the Tollywood actors are mounting pressure on their respective producers to resume the shoots at the earliest. As per the update, the strike will come to an end this week and the shoots will resume next week.

The Active Producers Guild agreed to an eight-week OTT cap from the theatrical release date for all the films. Some of the films for which the deals are inked will be given an exemption. Some of the producers agreed to revise the OTT deals for the upcoming biggies. The character actors will not be paid on a regular basis and the remuneration would be per film. Some other crucial decisions are made and the Producers will interact with the media to announce the updates.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Active Producers Guild to make Big Announcements

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It has been more than two weeks since the Tollywood producers called off the shoots. Several crucial meetings were held and special committees were formed to find possible solutions for the challenges faced by the producers. Several star actors are mounting pressure on their producers to resume the shoots at the earliest. The Active Producers Guild will meet this afternoon and they will discuss about the recent developments. There are strong talks that the shoots of Telugu films will resume from August 22nd.

The Active Producers Guild will interact with the media and will announce the developments this evening. The Producers Council is expected to announce the date of resuming the Tollywood shoots. On the other side, some of the producers are planning the schedules of their upcoming projects as the stars are mounting pressure on them. Some of the issues are yet to be resolved, the major problems are well discussed and the producers are keen to implement them for sure. The strict OTT release time cap issue too will be discussed today. Some big announcements coming today.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Tollywood relieved with the August Footfalls

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Three biggies featuring stars like Megastar Chiranjeevi, Bollywood Superstar Aamir Khan and Pan-Indian actor Prabhas released this year. These films Acharya, Laal Singh Chaddha and Radhe Shyam failed to report decent footfalls. The audience were disappointed with the lackluster content from the trailers and they showed no interest to watch these films in theatres. At the same time, there were debates that the digital platforms took over the theatres and the theatre industry will tumble down completely.

It is then films like Bimbisara, Sita Ramam and Karthikeya 2 released. All these three films came up with different content, rich production values and some impressive performances though they had no Superstars in the lead roles. All these three films are declared as blockbusters and they are running with packed houses. Despite new releases, Bimbisara and Sita Ramam are super strong in their second weekend. Sita Ramam opened on a dull note and gained strength every single day. The weekdays collections are higher than the film’s weekend numbers. The audience proved that they are ready to watch interesting content in theatres and they are not bothered about stars. After a dull June and July, August is back with a bang with decent hits already. All eyes are now focused on Vijay Deverakonda’s Liger.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Exclusive: Producers Guild Takes a Crucial Decision

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The Active Producers Guild called off the shoots of Telugu films and they decided to resolve the major challenges and problems of Telugu cinema. The most discussed issue is the remunerations of the star actors. Most of the stars of Telugu cinema tripled or hiked their fee after the pandemic. This is turning out to be a stress for the producer if the film ends up as a flop. The producers met several times and discussed about the issue in the recent week. None of the producers are ready to meet the stars and ask them to reduce their remunerations.

Hence, the Active Producers Guild came to a decision and they would not ask the stars to reduce their remunerations. The discussions are on about the cost cutting in other crafts and to prevent the wastage that is happening on the sets. Some of the managers have been playing games with the producers about the remunerations and the margins in the paycheques of actors,actresses and character actors. The Producers Guild is in plans to warn them on a strict note. The remunerations of the staff members of the actors and actresses will be borne by the respective actors and not by the producers, finalized the Guild. Some other discussions are going on and some crucial decisions would be taken and the strike is expected to be concluded before next weekend as per the recent developments.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

Wanted heroines for Telugu Cinema

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There is a huge scarcity for actresses in Telugu cinema from some time. The veteran actors are struggling to find heroines and some of the projects got delayed. At the same time, there is a huge need for actresses for young actors of Telugu cinema. Actresses like Pooja Hegde, Rashmika Mandanna, Krithi Shetty and Sree Leela are in huge demand. Pooja Hegde and Rashmika have been demanding close to Rs 4 crores and they have their dairies full for the year. Sree Leela signed more than half a dozen films and Krithi Shetty is occupied with many projects. They are taking home Rs 1 crore per film.

Keeping these four beauties aside, there is no heroine available to match their grace beside the young actors. A beautiful performer is also needed for a Telugu film as the audience are not ready to watch new faces unless they are quite impressive. There are several new beauties from North trying their luck but the actors are not in a mood to take a risk and work with them. Tollywood producers are struggling to find heroines as the star actresses have their dairies full. Even the upcoming beauties are demanding huge remunerations in Telugu cinema. For now, there is a huge scarcity for actresses in Telugu cinema.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

OTT Release Cap: A Headache for Tollywood Producers

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With the digital era ahead, the audience are more comfortable to watch films on various OTT platforms at home. The digital platforms too are paying huge amounts for the OTT deals. Some of the producers pocketed massive amounts for the early digital deals which are directly killing the footfalls in theatres. Tollywood producers are on a strike and are discussing about a strict release cap for films on the digital platforms. Most of them voted for a 50 days gap between the theatrical and digital release for a Telugu film.

Several Tollywood producers are left in safe zone even after delivering flops because of the massive digital deals. They are now worried that the digital platforms will not offer big deals if the gap of OTT release is increased. A debate on this is going on as some of the producers are opposing the gap. Several producers proposed a five-week release cap between the theatrical and digital releases. The final decision on this will be taken soon.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

One more crucial meeting of the Producers Guild

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The Active Producers Guild met recently and formed four different committees to resolve their issues before the shoots will resume. One more crucial meeting is planned and it will take place today in AP Film Chamber. The active members of the Film Chamber, Producers from the Guild and several distributors will meet today. The discussion would be over the OTT release cap and the VPF prices. The distributors too are in plans to discuss about the challenges faced by them in the recent months after the pandemic.

Some of the crucial decisions taken by the committees too will be discussed in today’s meeting. All the officials, producers and distributors will meet in Filmnagar today. The discussion about ending the strike too will be discussed in the meeting. The shoots of all the Telugu films are kept on hold from August 1st.

Telugu360 is always open for the best and bright journalists. If you are interested in full-time or freelance, email us at Krishna@telugu360.com.

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