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Telugu film industry to defy Karnataka embargo





HYDERABAD, DEC. 5. The Telugu film industry is gearing up for simultaneous release, in all territories, of nine films in the pipeline between December 9 and January 15, 2005.

The films include `Vijayendra Varma' (Balakrishna), `Mass' (Nagarjuna), `Balu' (Pawan Kalyan), `Alludu' (NTR Junior) and `Dhana 51' (Sumanth).

The move has been facilitated by the decision of the Joint Action Committee, which met in Goa on November 30, and decided to give the `embargo' the go-by.

It may be recalled that for almost three months, simultaneous release of non-Kannada films in Karnataka had been affected.

This followed the imposition of the will of a section of the film industry in Karnataka, primarily those under the influence of thespian Rajkumar. Karnataka had been against simultaneous release of non-Kannada films and fixed a `seven-week embargo', which had been subsequently reduced to three weeks.

Apex court order

At a press conference, G. Adiseshagiri Rao, president, Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce, and K.S. Rama Rao, president, Telugu Film Producers' Council, recalled the Supreme Court's orders recently, saying screening of films could not be stopped.

They warned that anyone raising objections of any sort, or not planning for simultaneous release would have to face "Contempt of Court" charges.

Anti-piracy bill

Mr. Adiseshagiri Rao and Mr. Rama Rao hailed the pro-active move of the State Government and the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and expressed confidence that an anti-piracy bill would soon become a reality.

The high-powered committee constituted to look into the problem would meet shortly and submit a report with its recommendations to the Government, they said.

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