The recently concluded and highly fought Movie Artists Association (MAA) elections have brought forward the ugly face of Telugu cinema to general public. It is just a small association with over 900 members and is only a single party in movie making process and entertainment industry, but the way they cleaned their dirty linen in the public leads us to fact that there is more than what meets the eye!
The faces of cinema, the artists, have tremendous following across all the sections. They are actors and stars that make or kill the film. But when did one imagine that they indulge in politics that even politicians are put to shame. Despite all throwing happy faces and claiming that they are all a family, the true nature of the artists was out with the elections. In fact this time it is clear that the film industry is split vertically – on caste basis and on political affiliation basis?
It seems with the MAA elections the aspects of caste, religion and political affiliations has come to the forefront and this is likely to further hamper the industry which is finding its base in Hyderabad after having shifted from south Indian mecca of cinema, Chennai. Though there has been a vertical split of the Telugu film industry since long time, it was not so evident until these elections were announced. All these are only leading to damage of the industry and all its stakeholders.
Even much before the elections process was announced Prakash Raj and Manchu Vishnu’s spat in the public made people notice these stars not their reel performance but for real performances. Added to this is Mohan Babu’s entry to support his son was nothing but the rift strengthened and the gap between people within the industry was widening by the day.
Yet another dimension to this politics is that Mega family consisting of Chiranjeevi, Nagababu and Pawan Kalyan had openly called for support to Prakash Raj. This led to the political angle to the entire episode. Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP) is in alliance with Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and it is a known fact that Prakash Raj is an ardent critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even fought Parliamentary election against BJP.
On the other hand, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA and actor Balakrishna came openly in support of Manchu Vishnu, so the fight shifted from film industry to politics of the two states. Another angle being talked about is Manchu Vishnu’s relationship with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, It is being said that Jagan’s party YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has been indirectly wishing for the victory of Vishnu.
Overall caste and political equations along with money power have been the key elements for MAA this season, feel the analysts and it is time to come out clean and gain public acceptance, else people will shy away from these stars for their interior motives being rubbed on general people!