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Hans India
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Tollywood chokes as wage dispute triggers industry-wide strike
Hyderabad: The Telugu film industry, better known as Tollywood, has come to a standstill as the Telugu Film Employees Federation initiated an indefinite strike, halting film and web series productions across both Telugu states. The strike stems from a long-pending demand for wage revision — a 30 per cent hike for over 10,000 workers spanning 24 departments, including lighting, set design, makeup, and costumes. The current daily wage stands at Rs 1,400, unchanged for the past three years. Former Federation General Secretary Rajeswar Reddy expressed frustration, stating, 'Despite multiple meetings with producers, there has been no progress. Workers who are the backbone of sets deserve better. Until our demands are accepted in writing, there will be no return to work.' As a result, several high-budget projects have stalled. In response, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) issued a statement condemning the strike and claimed that wages already exceed statutory norms. 'This disruption will cause serious financial losses. We urge producers to refrain from making separate deals with unions,' said TFCC Secretary K.L. Damodar Prasad. Adding fuel to the fire, the TFCC recently passed a resolution allowing producers to hire any skilled workers — unionized or not — intensifying the standoff. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, senior producers C. Kalyan, Allu Aravind, Suresh Babu, Mythri Ravi Shankar, and Supriya Yarlagadda met actor Chiranjeevi at his residence on Monday to seek his intervention. C. Kalyan revealed, 'Chiranjeevi garu advised against abrupt halts in shootings and expressed interest in hearing the workers' side. He promised to step in personally if the issue remains unresolved within two to three days.' Meanwhile, Telangana Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy weighed in, acknowledging the workers' plight amid rising costs in Hyderabad. 'Salary hikes are necessary. We've appointed Dil Raju to mediate. I will also meet with workers post my Delhi visit to help facilitate a fair resolution,' he assured. As Tollywood reels from this sudden pause, all eyes are on industry leaders and government mediators to break the deadlock. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the cameras roll again or the industry faces a prolonged standstill.
New Indian Express
05-08-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TFCC rejects workers' demand for wage hike
HYDERABAD: The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has issued a statement opposing the demand of the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation for a 30% wage hike, which led to a shooting halt across the industry on August 4. TFCC has passed a 'unanimous resolution' to allow producers to hire non-union workers. The chamber said, 'The Telugu film industry in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is already in a very difficult situation. At such a time, when discussions are underway for an amicable solution under the guidance of the honourable Labour Commissioner, the federation has chosen to defy this process.' The chamber argued that the hike is 'unaffordable to small producers' and added that 'every small producer is against this hike, which is not within their means.' TFCC noted that under the Minimum Wages Act, producers have the right to employ workers as long as they are paid minimum wages. It also referred to a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order that restrained federations from imposing anti-competitive practices. The TFCC emphasised that producers can now work with skilled workers irrespective of union affiliation, saying, 'There is no film industry without producers. Trade unions should recognise that the well-being of producers is vital for the survival of our industry.'
The Hindu
05-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Telugu Film Chamber turns down federation's 30% wage hike demand
A day after the Telugu Film Industry Employees' Federation called for a strike, demanding a 30 per cent wage hike, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has responded in the negative. Passing an 'unanimous resolution', the TFCC has allowed producers to hire workers who aren't part of the union. Shooting across Telugu cinema came to a halt due to the strike called by the Telugu Film Industry Employees' Federation on August 04, 2025. Reacting to the development, the Film Chamber said in a statement, 'The Telugu film industry in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is already in a very difficult situation. At such a time, when discussions are underway for an amicable solution under the guidance of the Honourable Labour Commissioner, the Federation has chosen to defy this process.' In a notice, the Federation had said that 'members should not report to shoot anywhere' until the wage hike is implemented. 'The Federation decided that from August 04, 2025, a 30 % wage hike should be given. Unless producers send a letter stating they will implement this hike and send it to unions, there will be no shooting.' The Chamber said the hike is 'unaffordable for small produces', adding that 'all small producers are against the hike, as it's not in their means.' The TFCC cited Labour Commissioner's clarification, stating that under the Minimum Wages Act, producers have the right to employ workers as long as they are paid minimum wages. It also mentioned the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order that restrains federations from imposing anti-competitive practices. ALSO READ: Gowtam Tinnanuri interview: 'Kingdom' being compared to 'Chatrapathi' gives me a high 'There is no film industry without producers. Trade unions should recognise that the well-being of producers is vital for the survival of our industry,' said TFCC, adding that producers can hire workers outside of the union. 'The cost of living is lower in Hyderabad than in other metropolitan cities. Moreover, we are paying higher wages to workers here than in other film industries,' the Chamber further said.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Piracy hits 'Kubera' after release; police scan ticket data, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) files complaint
HYDERABAD: Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has approached the Hyderabad police with a complaint against movie pirates. The complainant alleged that an unknown offender secretly recorded the movie 'Kubera' on June 20, the day of its release, at PVR Central Mall in Panjagutta and released the pirated version online immediately. Cyber crime sleuths have registered a case and launched a hunt to apprehend the offenders. Directed by National Award-winner Sekhar Kammula and starring Dhanush, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Rashmika Mandanna, 'Kubera' was released worldwide. Within hours, high-definition pirated versions surfaced on piracy portals such as 1TamilBlasters and 1TamilMV, alarming the movie producers. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad In his complaint, TFCC's Anti-Video Piracy Cell project head Y Manindra Babu alleged that an unknown offender had surreptitiously camcorded the movie from Screen 5 of PVR Central Mall during the 8.45-11 am show on June 20. The watermarks embedded by Qube Digital Cinema, a supplier of the digital cinema packages (DCP) to the movie halls, pinpointed the exact location and time of the leak through forensic analysis. "We are scrutinising CCTV footage, ticketing data and IP logs to identify the individual who had recorded the movie and supplied it to the piracy website operators," a Cyber Crime official said. Piracy arrest is second in recent times Acting on the complaint, Cyber Crime police registered a case under Sections 66C and 66E of the Information Technology Act, Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 338 (forgery of valuable security, will etc.) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo read with 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Sections 63 and 65 of the Copyright Act. Recently, the city police had arrested an AC technician, J Kiran Kumar, for pirating 40 movies following a complaint by TFCC. Kiran confessed to recording and leaking at least 40 movies from different theatres across the city. The accused told police he chose cinema halls based on occupancy data from BookMyShow. Using a mobile phone hidden in his shirt pocket, Kiran recorded the movies. Later, he shared the pirated videos with his handlers via Telegram. In return for sharing videos, Kiran's handlers paid him $300-$400 (between 25,000 and 35,000) per film in cryptocurrency.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Time of India
Hyderabad: How an AC mechanic earned over Rs 40 lakh in cryptocurrency by watching 40 films in 1.5 years
A 29-year-old air-conditioner mechanic from Hyderabad was arrested for allegedly running a high-tech movie piracy racket that leaked over 40 films. The accused, Jana Kiran Kumar, was caught during a joint operation by the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) anti-piracy cell and the cybercrime police. He was reportedly caught while recording inside a theatre, marking the first such case in the city. Secret operation behind movie leaks Kiran, a resident of Vanasthalipuram, worked as an AC technician during the day and operated the piracy racket by night. Over 18 months, he is said to have earned more than Rs 40 lakh in cryptocurrency by recording and leaking newly released films. Targeted low-crowd cinemas using booking data During questioning, Kiran admitted to choosing theatres based on the occupancy data available on the BookMyShow app. 'The emptier the theatre, the better my chances of going unnoticed,' he reportedly told police. This allowed him to carry out the recordings without drawing attention. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 20 Most Expensive Cars Undo Officials said Kiran recorded films from multiple cinema halls across Hyderabad. In total, he leaked at least 40 movies. His arrest is being seen as a significant breakthrough in tackling movie piracy in the region.
