Tussle Over Andhra Pradesh Getting Interesting

The tussle between Bharatiya Janata Party and Telugu Desam Party over the special status to the state is getting interesting day by day. Days after the TDP launched offensive against the ruling party at center, BJP has retorted by saying that the Andhra Pradesh received utmost priority during last three and half yrs under Modi government.

The BJP on Saturday said, Andhra Pradesh has received utmost priority and importance under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government.

In a joint press conference in New Delhi, party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao and Party's AP President and Visakhapatnam MP K. Hari Babu presented a list of institutions, projects and funds sanctioned for the state by the NDA government and asserted that the Centre has taken utmost care of the state.

“The state has received priority and the Centre is committed to its development,” the Rao said,

Referring to the charges made by MPs from AP representing TDP and YSRCP, Rao said it was all propaganda. Hari Babu said, the State has been provided funds for which is entitled to and the rest is under implemetion. The Party also refuted the criticism that the Centre has not done much for development of the State.

Hari Babu said that in a meeting held on Thursday, two major issues --- the revenue deficit the state had inherited at the time of bifurcation and the implementation of special package -- have been sorted out and concerns over other proposed projects and institutions were also addressed

The Centre will bear all revenue deficit for the entire period of the 14th finance commission and a total of Rs 22,113 crores will be paid to Andhra Pradesh as grant for the five- year period

The Centre has released a sum of Rs 1,269 crore to AP under different heads in the last few days with the gross grant including Rs 417.44 crore for the Polavaram multipurpose project, one of the contentious issues between the allies TDP and BJP, he said.

TDP MPs, along with YSR Congress, in both Houses of Parliament have been protesting for the last few days demanding implementation of all promises made by the NDA government under the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

Read More

Less Sympathy For Chandrababu This Time Around

Not many days have passed since Chandrababu Naidu staged a brilliant political drama in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. He brought an entire entourage of his party, Telugu Desam, legislators and workers first in Nanded district. He was arrested and later shifted to Aurangabad where he continued his theatrics in true blood AP politics style.

What Naidu did at that point of time, just days ahead to by-elections for 12 seats in Telangana area of Andhra Pradesh, was widely perceived as his bid to regain foothold in the border line area adjacent to Maharashtra. As Telangana is poised to get statehood sooner or later, Naidu could scarcely afford to miss presence of his party in the new state. Hence, the issue of Babli dam issue proved handy to him.

Alas! Naidu's gameplan did not worked out the way he liked it to be. TDP was routed in the ensuing by-elections. Still, the opposition leader in AP Legislative Assembly must be commended for his guts to take on a mighty ruling party like Congress head on.

However, the modern leader who once pioneered IT revolution in India failed to gain a place among the pro-Telangana workers. The fact is underlined before us with an attack on Naidu's convoy in Rangareddy district today. The pro-Telangana activists attacked his convoy.

Why I reminded of the drama Naidu created last month at the start of this article? It is because Naidu will get no sympathy from people of Maharashtra this time around. Just six years ago, Naidu's convoy was attacked by Naxalite extremists en route Tirupati. He was Chief Minister of AP then. At the time, there was widespread affinity in Maharashtra for a daring leader who heralded new techniques and means for the benefit of the people.

But the TDP chief has diluted much of the appreciation because of his misadventure last month. The Marathi media hardly take note of this incident in positive light.

Read More

The Problems of Railway in Marathwada

The seven districts of Maharashtra bordering Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, namely Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Latur, Osmanabad, Jalna, Beed are collectively known as Marathwada. It was formerly under the Nizam rule and was separeted in 1960 at the time of formation of Maharashtra. The area is known for its economic backwardness and one reason ascribed for it is the lack of communication facilities. This absence of facilities include modern uitilities like internet and mobile communication as well as traditional ways of transportation. It is difficult for anyone to imagine how the area has been marred by the problems of railway.

To begin with, whatever rail network exists in Marathwada was laid by the then Nizam administration. According to district gazettes of Nanded, “Nanded and the adjoining districts of Aurangabad and Parbhani are very rich in raw materials-. Cotton, the important staple crop, is abundantly grown. Visualising the importance of these raw materials in the prospective development of the region, the erstwhile Hyderabad State undertook the laying down of Hyderabad-Manmad railway line, which later on came to be called as the Godavari Valley railway, which was again renamed as Kacheguda-Manmad railway, so as to enable the transportation of the abovementioned raw materials as well as passenger traffic which was the necessity of the day. The work of this line was completed and it was opened for traffic in 1899.” Not a single inch of track has been added to that set up. Broad gauge railway was a dream for most of the public in the area till as late as 1992. There are still some districts like Beed (except Parali) and Osmanabad which have no presence of rail road. The district gazette of Beed district published in 2006 says,

“Beed district, along with other districts of the Marathwada region, was not supplied with a well-knit system of communications till recently. The total rail length in the district at present measures only 48.28 km. (30 miles), the main railway station in the district being Parali-Vaijnath. The rail track running north-east joins it with Parbhani and that running southeast with Hyderabad. The Parali-Parbhani meter gauge line was opened for traffic in 1929. The Parali-Vikarabad broad gauge line opened in 1933 serves the district well by connecting it with Secunderabad and Hyderabad, which are important places. Parali-Vaijnath is the largest market town of the district and is connected with many trade centres in the outgoing areas. Beed, the headquarters of the district, lies off the railway route and thus depends on roadways for trade. The railway communication is restricted to a small portion in the east only. It thus depends for the most part on road transport for passenger and goods traffic.”

The people are demanding for railway facilities since 1950s. Recurring agitations and demand to the central government have failed to garner any advantage for the people of Marathwada. The result is that even though most of the workforce of industries in Pune and Mumbai come from these districts, the travel to these cities is next to a nightmare for the people. Passengers going to Pune from Nanded have to take a circular travel of more than 200 kms which take approximately 5 hrs.
One reason why this apathy is being shown may be that the Nanded railway division is attached with South Central Railway which has been dominated by Andhraites. On the other hands, the people from the region ask to attach the division with Central Railway as is the case all over the state. According to Sudhakar Doiphode, the senior journalist and editor of Prajavani, a Marathi daily from Nanded, “The region has been locked into two sides with the same apathy. The developed regions like Western Maharashtra look at Marathwada as backward. The leaders their give a cold shoulder to the problems of the region, meting out a step brotherly treatment. On the other hand, the SC railway is more concerned with the good performance in Andhra Pradesh. The officers who are mainly from AP are absolutely no concerned with the people here.”

Read More

CAMPAIGNING COMES TO END

VOTING FOR FIRST PHASE ON THURSDAY

The campaigning for the election to the Lok Sabha came to an end in Nanded constituency today evening. In the last 13 days that I am here, there was no trace of hectic campaigning in the constituency. This when the chief minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan represents the district in the Legislative Assembly. His brother in law Bhaskararao Patil Khatgaonkar is the candidate for the seat here. Sambhaji Pawar from Bharatiya Janata Party is his main opponent. Also, Preeti Shinde, a young candidate who has done her MBA in Fashion Marketing from Milan is also oin the fray from the Jan Surajya Party ticket. She has managed to grab much attention because of her credentials as also her campaigning has managed to create a good impression. She is sure to give a run for the money for both of these heavyweight candidates. Besides these three main faces, there are 22 candidates who are in the ring. Two electronic voting machines will have to used for them.

Nanded is one of the 124 constituencies spread over 15 states and two Union Territories going to the polls in First phase on Thursday. A total of 14 crore 31 lakh voters will exercise their right to vote in this phase.

R. Balakrishanan, deputy Election Commissioner said in New Delhi that over one lakh 85 thousand polling stations have been set up and over one lakh polling staff will man them. 1715 candidates are in the fray in this phase. Out of them 122 are women. The violence has started to engulf the electioneering process. In Bihar, activists of outlawed CPI (Maoist) torched off vehicles of contesting Janata Dal (United) candidate in Karakat Parliamentary constituency in wee hours on Tuesday. Maoists also blew up two school buildings by using dynamite at Barachatti in Gaya district.

Bahadur Sonker, Indian Justice Party candidate from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh was murdered on Sunday night. The Election Commission has sought a report from the Jaunpur district administration in Uttar Pradesh on the incident. 

In Andhra Pradesh, the campaigning is at its peak in the 22 Lok Sabha and 154 Assembly constituencies where polling is to take place on Thursday. Meanwhile, a new incident surfaced there when Shubha Rani, the president of Women wing of Praja Rajyam Party nearly assaulted a cameraman of NTV Telugu. However, she later apologized for the incident. She was miffed by an attempt of Sting operation.

In Maharashtra, Hingoli parliamentary constituency which is formed after the delimitation will go to the polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. It includes Hingoli, Kalamnuri, Basmat, Kinwat, Hadgoan and Umerkhed assembly constituencies. Bhokar assembly constituency has been excluded and Umerkhed assembly segment from Vidharba region included in this newly framed Lok Sabha constituency.

Read More

WHERE POLITICS IS REEL

Movie Stars Make A Splash In Andhra Pradesh

When it comes to electioneering by movie stars, none can beat the Andhra Pradesh. At the time when leaders from all political parties are slogging it out in the open, the state bridging North and South India is agog with actors and actresses addressing the people and appealing for the votes. Today I watched Junior NTR addressing the voters from his house and ridden on a bed on account of backache. His speech, which came after hectic schedule of road shows and rallies, was full of vigor and enthusiasm.

Those who have watched any of Junior NTR’s movie knows how the young descendent of Nandmuri Tarak Ramarao can deliver the speeches laden with aggression. He carried the same zeal in reality when he spoke about the political picture of his state. He invoked Telugu pride frequently during his about ten minute long speech. His speech was carried live by the NTV, a channel owned by Tummala Narendra Chowdary. The channel also interviewed some of the supporters of the young superstar and they seemed to have lapped all that was spoken by Junior NTR.

It was very appalling to see a young hero targeting the Mega Star like Chiranjeevi. He took a dig at Chiru, without the naming of course, “who had called Gandhiji to fight for the freedom of India? Who had called Dr. Ambedkar to fight for the cause of Dalits?” He also criticized Congress, the ruling party of Andhra Pradesh and main opponent of Telugu Desam Party, for which Jr. NTR was campaigning for last many days.

However, he was not alone in the fray. Almost half of Telugu movie stars and artists are in election process this time. Nagarjuna, who till now has managed to keep distance from the party politics, has opened his mouth this time. Even though speaking in a reserved manner and refusing to endorse any of the party, he said there have been only two persons in the state who have kept their promises. Those two are NTR and Y. S. Rajshekhar Reddy, the present chief minister of the state. Nagarjuna, a heartthrob of a large number of youths (I myself like the actor) in Andhra as well as in other states, also wished success to Chiru.

Meanwhile, many new actors like Allu Arjun are also campaigning for the Praja Rajyam, party founded by Chiranjeevi.

Read More

Police a Tired Lot

Two BJP Bigwigs in Two Days

For the last three days, I am in Nanded. Like other class C cities in the Maharashtra, Nanded is also agog with the talk of elections. There seems nothing else to discuss for media except the political gossiping and guessing games. Unfortunately though, the public is not concerned much with the goings on in that field. They are more concerned with the heat created by sun rather than the election fever. The mercury here has almost touched 42 degrees Celsius and it is still only the first week of April. The summer season lasts till the June 7th and as happens each passing year, the rising temperature will post new records.

Thanks to the strict implementation of the code of conduct for polls, or the fear of it at least, has kept the poll frenzy to the minimum. The posters, loudspeakers, party workers visiting the households several times in a day and vehicles studded with stickers and posters…all these visuals are not there on the streets this time because nobody wants to offend the election officers.

Today, L. K. Advani addressed a rally in Deglur, some 100 kilometres from Nanded. The rally was attended by a large gathering, we were told by local people. I was in Deglur today morning itself. I could sense the enthusiasm in the local people with respect to this rally. But I suspect how many people actually turned out at the site. One reason why Advani might have decided to hold a rally in this small town with population barely touching a lakh (0.1 million) is its proximity to the Andhra Pradesh. Deglur is a boundary town between Maharashtra and Andhra. It has a sizeable population with people knowing Telugu and some towns in Andhra are barely two hours away from here.

A large number of policemen were deputed in the town for the security arrangement of the BJP leader. The police personnel were brought here last night. The rally was scheduled in the morning 9:30 am but was started only in the afternoon. It was over at 3:00 pm and poor policemen were relieved in 4:00 pm. But they were not supposed to enjoy their freedom as Narendra Modi, another VVIP is in Nanded tomorrow to address another election rally. Some policemen were heard talking to their colleagues deputed at the airport for the next day. The rally will take place at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium.

Read More

Andhra's WhYSR?

The twin city of Hyderbad has been shocked second time whithin a span of three months. The twin blasts have taken a toll of more than 45 persons with casualties including women and children. The day of the blast coincided with the 100th day of the fateful bomb blast in Mecca Masjid in the older part of Hyderabad.On the same day, prior to these blasts, Andhra Police has seized fake currency worth Two Crores and 70 Lakhs Rupees. The feat, though reported widely in local media in Andhra, got rare place in the media form North, which deemed it more important to report the misforun of Salman Khan! I could have easily lost on these news items, but for the Telugu channels which I chanced upon to see on that day. All the media organs in Andhra Pradesh have dwelt on these two aspects relating them to the latest blasts.

People in Andhra Pradesh have more enraged now with the undue comments coming from none other than the Chief Minister of the State himself. Y. S. R. Reddy has been quoted as saying, "idi aantarjaatiy ugravaadam...Pak, Afghanisthanlo man nighu network vistarinchlem kadaa?" Reddy's comments have invited flak from the largest circulating daily in Telugu "Eenadu." The newspaper has compared his statement with the statement of George W. Bush immediately after the attack on World Trade Centre on 11 Sept. 2001. The paper describes YSR's statement as "this is the counterattack launched by CM in his unique style, the way he does after each attack." His statement has rubbed salt on the already wounded public psyche, says Eenadu. "The terrorist attacks happen even in Bangalore, Malegaon, London, Baghdad...," this is how YSR defended failure of the Intelligence organs in predicting and prohibiting the incident. Eenadu while commenting on this, says "how can the CM compare Hyderabad with Baghdad of Iraq, which is engulfed in the Civil War? How dare CM speak like this even when he knows there has been no terrorist strike on US soil after 9/11.

The AP govt. has categorized these blasts as an act aroused out of the frustration on the part of the terrorists. But, in the words of the paper, the blast occured on account of the failure of the government. The Andhra Pradesh is comparatively a poor state. It was at least peaceful in the tenure of then CM Chandrababu Naidu. The Naidu govt. succeded, to an extent, in minimalising the Naxalite activities. The Reddy government has failed to achieve anything substantial in any direction. It had announced an amneity for the naxalites within few days after coming to power. That has yet to bear any fruit till now. Last month, some seven policemen were killed during a Bandh called by Naxals. Reddy government has unnecessarily induldged itself in non-issues like giving lands in Tirupati to the missionaries, announcing reservation for Muslims...

That has really turned AP in Iraq.

Read More

The Modis Operandi of Growth

First thing first. That Narendra Modi has made it to the record books as the longest serving chief minister of Gujarat. He became the longest serving head of Gujarat state with the completion of five years and almost eight months of his rule. Modi, who took over as chief minister on Oct 7, 2001, completed 2063 days of rule on Friday, 1st June 2007. The state of Gujarat has seen as many as 14 chief ministers in 47 years since its formation in 1960.
There are many people in this country whose faces turn to red at the very mention of Narenda Modi. Some see in him the next Hitler and for some moderate ones, he is the biggest threat to the Indian democracy and integrity. It is actually another matter how far they have gone to know or study the man or the administrator behind this figure. For the last five years, Narendra Modi has provided almost all the fodder for opposition and attack from the opponents of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the process, he has built a reputation for himself that hardly betrays any human aspect or the kindness. Coming from the state of Gujarat, from where Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation and proponent of the Satyagraha and Ahimsa (non-violence), he has faced flak in immeasurable measure. Still he has achieved something that he should be rightly proud of even in future.
Yes, there have been other leaders in the country who have been in the office far more than Mr. Modi. Prior to him, former chief minister Narendra Desai was the longest serving head of the Gujarat, being in power for 2062 days. Present Railway Minister of Laloo Prasad Yadav was the chief minister of Bihar for more than six years from 1990 onwards. Even before that, in Maharashtra, Vasantrao Naik was the Chief Minister of the state for almost 14 years from 1962 onwards. What sets Mr. Modi apart is his leadership qualities in terms of the political successes and the administrative traits in terms of the developmental work in the state. Gujarat inherited by Mr. Modi and Gujarat under Mr. Modi is vastly difference. This difference does not manifest through riots only, which media pleases to show at the very first opportunity.
Just last week I was in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Being a citizen one could not help comparing the situation in different, especially so if one happens to come from a state which was a part of the concerned state. The development works in Gujarat are not only amazing, they are just awe inspiring. Not withstanding the vehement and powerful activism of Narmada Bachao Andolan, can one deny that the Sardar Sarovar dam has infused a new life in the farm sector of the Gujarat? Laloo Prasad in his tenure took Bihar to such depths that it became synonymous with disgrace. While people in Maharashtra woke up each day to the electricity less life, Gujarat has gone ahead with providing excess electrical power to the neighboring Maharashtra.
Political philosophies apart, `Namo,’ as he is known widely, has proved to be a capable administrator, who has managed to provide the basic amenities to the public, a job for which he is entrusted. How many of the today’s leaders are capable of boasting this feat. For starters, let us see what Mr. Modi has achieved throughout his tenure.
g See how he handled the situation in the quake hit parts of Gujarat. When he took over as the Chief Minster Bhuj was a city of rubble. People were living in temporary shelters without basic infrastructure. Earthquake recovery became his first priority. Now Gujarat Reconstruction Programme is said to be one of the best reconstruction programmes on the global map and set a benchmark for reconstruction and disaster recovery, not only in India, but also in the entire Asia.
g Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor's meet is an innovative bi-annual submit organized by Narendra Modi to attract. Even the events like kite flying festival on Makar Sakranti were used for attracting foreign investment.
This development pattern of Gujarat has been appreciated by all and it is recognized by the State organizations also. It was not long ago that Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has awarded the Gujarat State for various development works. This issue was also a topic for the hot political discussion. Just recently, Planning Commission of India has lauded the state for its development and even has gone to the extent of terming it as a star performer.
According to the UNI story,
· Gujarat's economic growth post-liberalistion, specifically in the last five years, has evoked admiration in the draft Gujarat Development Report, prepared by Gujarat Institute of Development Research (GIDR) at the behest of the Planning Commission.Terming the state a ''star performer'' and a ''manufacturing specialist'', the report makes specific mentions of investments in ports, roads, telecom and other infrastructure.A jarring note in the report comes in the form of Gujarat achieving an average growth rate of only 14 per cent in the manufacturing sector despite a potential for crossing the 20 per cent mark.However, for this under-performance, the report puts the onus on the conservative monetary and exchange rate policies of the Central Government and the RBI. Comparing Gujarat with other states, the report finds the western state doing exceedingly well on most economic parameters. The comparisons have been made against Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. It gives an example of how growing from a much lower level of Rs 11,500 against Rs 13,500 of Maharashtra in 1993, the per capita income of Gujarat crossed that of its neighbour in 2003 and stood at Rs 19,500, a jump of over 70 per cent in a decade growing fastest among its peers. ''Gujarat is in a class by itself. Among its peer states, Gujarat has the highest rate of growth of GDP, manufacturing and per capita SDP. The openness to immigration of labour, and the natural advantage of much land with little alternative use, local entrepreneurship, state support and local politics that is not against capital are significant factors,'' says the chapter on'Economic Performance of Gujarat in recent times''.

Given this background, can one deny that with the hooting that Namo gets regularly, he deserves a hats off too?

Read More

Tollywood’s Sorry Picture

The picture can’t be more contradictory. On one hand, Hindi movie channels are running successfully showing dubbed and remake versions of Telugu films, which in all earnestness seem to be getting a lot of response from ­audience. At the same time, Telugu films themselves are facing a hard day in Andhra Pradesh itself. Having found itself in a quagmire of business losses and a stiff competition from Bollywood and Kollywood, it is striving hard to regain its land. But for the passive onlooker, that seems a distant possibility. What make it more pitiful is that this year Tollywood is celebrating its 75th year.
Telugu film industry in India has a unique standing. It has not only the distinction of being the third biggest film industry in India, in terms of films produced per year and the turnover achieved therein, it also thrives on many demi-gods and cult like fan following of some actors. These actors in turn have never let down their fans and have delivered year after year the films, that we relish even years later. That’s why a Chiranjeevi starrer ‘Gang Leader’ became a super hit in the latter part of 1980s and when it is shown on Star Gold in a dubbed version (named Naya Don), it still got a better TRP. It prompted the channel to show one more dubbed movie named ‘Vishwa’. It was a Nagarjun starrer which was released in 2004 as ‘Nenunnanu.’ The trend continued and rival channel Zee Cinema started to show some dubbed Chiranjeevi movies in prime time. Diler (Anji) and Rakshak (Mrugraju) are two films falling in this category.
It is not that all Telugu films sell on star value. They usually have a strong story element with eye-catching picturisation and of course, a great music. That was the case till recently, i.e. till last year. Now it is almost a sorry picture. Tollywood has seen too many flops for the last couple of years and it is frantically searching for a hit. Even superstars like Chiranjeevi and Nagarjun are finding it difficult to break this mould. One problem that these actors face is the non-availability of good roles. They have been caught in a kind of trap where they can’t play the roles they wish.
In a recent interview, Chiranjeevi has said, “"My image troubles me in different ways. I cannot act in roles different from that of mass commercial ones due to image." That brings the real dilemna of a hero who has steadfastly lead the industry for more than a decade. Lack of worthwhile stories and too much insistence on the routine formulas, that have proved to be a bane for Tollywood. The producers in the industry seem only working for garnering the monetary profit from the films without giving a hint of thought as to what its outcome might be. Trying to emulate the Bollywood for that purpose is just a way of doing that. That’s why heroines and character artists from Mumbai find their way in Telugu films these days more and more. Add to that song (and they abound to the hilt) and dance sequences picturised on the exotic foreign locations. Not surprisingly, the budget of the film skyrockets to few crores. Given the stiff competition in this era, this money is hardly recovered giving more sleepless nights to everybody associated with the project. Even the advertising cost of the film amounts to few crores.
From the start of this year, 40 films have been released in Andhra Pradesh and only two of the proved to be a hit. That’s why trade pundits are anticipating a bleak show ahead. Sankranti season, in which Tollywood is expected to make fortune did not yield expected revenue. Filmmakers and industry insiders are now pinpointing their hopes on summer season. Holidays to school and colleges mean a boon to the film circuit. Many big films are expected in this season. So one can only hope their expectations come true and we are treated to an entertaining fair once again, like we were in the past.

Read More

Chiru...the eternal hero

The megastar of Telugu films Chiranjeevi recently completed 29 years of his film career. A function was organized to celebrate the occasion wherein his friend and another Telugu star Nagarjuna was present. Being one of the superstar’s quartet, (Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and Rajinikant comprises other three in this club) Chiru, as he is fondly called by his fans, is undoubtedly the most prominent figure of the Indian movies. The word Chiranjeevi in Sanskrit means 'one who live on eternally.' Chiranjeevi's feats on screen and in movies make him really live eternally in the mind of the viewers.
Chiranjeevi was as Siva Sankara Vara Prasad Konidela, on 22 August 1955 at Narasapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
He was a student of the famous Madras Film Institute and later became a professional film star. His first public performance was in a government parade ballet at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 1976.
He started his professional career the film "Punadhirallu" in 1978. Though Punadhirallu was his debut, his first success came up with a negative role in the film 'Intilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya' which was released in the year 1981.
His roles in movies such as Abilasha, Adavidonga, Chantabbayi, Challenge, Gang Leader, Master, Kondaveeti Donga, Kodama Simham, Indra, Tagore etc. were all block busters in Tollywood. In the pre-90s, Chiranjeevi was first seen on Hindi scree. His first Hindi film released was Pratibandh (1990) with Juhi Chawla as his heroine. The films was a blockbuster and Rami Reddy, the main villain in the films also received much attention in the film. The success of Pratibandh prompted producers to make another movie with Ciranjeevi, exploiting his macho man and angry young man image. This films ‘Aaj Ka Gundaraj’ (1992) was a remake of Telugu hit Gang Leader. Meenakshi Sheshadri was the heroine in the film. As this movie minted money on the Box Office, Chiranjeevi’s popularity also soared.
Though his subsequent films could not recreate the magic that is Chiranjeevi is known for, his charisma as an actor remains in place as is shown by the number of dubbed movies. These movies appear in small cities and run to packed houses as well as in CDs and DVDs which have a good run on Cable cicuit. Besides Telugu, Chiranjeevi commande a huge fan following in Tamilnadu also.
He is married to Konidela Surekha on February 20, 1980 and is blessed with two daughters Susmita and Sirija, and one son Ramcharan Teja. His brothers Nagendra Babu and Pawan Kalyan are both into movies as well.
Chiranjeevi is the founder of the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, which is the state's largest recipient of Eye and Blood Donations. With the help of Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust more than 20,000 people have donated blood and more than 10 lakh people have pledged their eyes. Chiranjeevi also assists people for medical expenses in genuine cases.

Read More

Tamil Films facing closed doors in South

It was not long ago that Kannada film industry, apparently raged over the diminishing collections on account of copetition with Tamil films, demanded to the State government to restrict release of non-Kannada films in Karnataka for the six weeks. The state government subsequently conceded on account of which non-Kannada films were barred entry for the first six weeks of their release in Karnataka. That decision affected all other languages films as well. On account of that step alone, Karnataka witnessed a high number of remakes in Kannada from Tamil and Hindi films. It did not though brought any worthwhile trend of original stories or new concepts in Kannada movies. Some trade bodies even went to the Supreme Court against this order in 2004 and now recently state government has denied having issued any such order.
These trade bodies feared that neighbouring States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala will be provoked to take similar decision against release and exhibition of Kannada and other language films in their respective states. Though these apprehension were not realised owing to the little popularity of Kannada films in other regions, it has came into existance for Tamil films. The same situation aroused in Andhra pradesh some time ago. Some Chiranjeevi films having failed to garner collections to the level they once did, at the same time Rajinikant's Chandramukhi dubbed in Telugu making records in collections and Santkozhi, Thimiru, Aanai etc. films making waves on box-office gave sleepless nights to the industrywllahs. Faced with a lacklustre performance of a majority of Telugu films and Tamil dubbed films making hay one after another, the film producers association there demanded a ban on Tamil films dubbed in Telugu. But this demand, arose as did subsequently vanished without a whimper and no concrete decision in this matter has not been taken till now.
After the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, it is the turn of the Kerala now to try to halt Tamil films at its border.
Tamil films, actor, actresses and songs have a huge fan following in Kerala. Anyone watching Asianet or Surya TV can vouch for that. Even Malyalam actresses have a harvest time now in Kollywood. Asin, Nayanthara are two heroines who can prove this point. Sometimes Tamil songs have more buzz than the Malayalam songs in Kerala. Old horses like Rajinikant and Kamal Haasan command a big fanbase with young guns Vijay, Surya and Vikram following the suit. So much so, that though Prithviraj is a face to reckon with in Tamilnadu, he is a big craze in Kerala girls. A distributor in Palghat has the bought rights for Shivaji-the boss for a whooping amount of Rs. 35 Crores, which is considered a record in Kerala.
It is hardly surprising then that Mollywood's insiders are alarmed at the pace at which Tamil films are gaining ground. To contemplate on this situation, some financiers in Mollywood recently had a meeting. It was decided in this meeting that Tamil films should be released in Kerala few weeks after their release in Tamilnadu. Even so, this restriction is less likely to affect the films starring Rajini, Kamal, Vijay etc. These films will be released simultaneously in Kerala.

Read More

Humanity Goes to Dogs

Special Eating Zone?

This is what modern india has come to! The nation in its eagerness to embrace progress, has unlearned the basic dignity of human, body and et al! This photo taken at Sonachuri area of Nandigram, in the state of West Bengal. Stray dogs were feeding on a charred human body of all the thing! Six people were killed and scores more injured in clashes between villagers and ruling Communist Party members in India's West Bengal state in a dispute over the acquisition of farmland for industrial purposes, according to reports.

Government of India had a policy decisionon 1.4.2000 for setting up of Special Economic Zones in the country with a view to provide an internationally competitive and hassle free environment for exports. All the import/export operations of the SEZ units will be on self-certification basis.
The policy provides for setting up of SEZ’s in the public, private, joint sector or by State Governments. It was also envisaged that some of the existing Export Processing Zones would be converted into Special Economic Zones. Accordingly, the Government has converted Export Processing Zones located at Kandla and Surat (Gujarat), Cochin (Kerala), Santa Cruz (Mumbai-Maharashtra), Falta (West Bengal), Madras (Tamil Nadu), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Noida (Uttar Pradesh) into a Special Economic Zones. In addition, 3 new Special Economic Zones approved for establishment at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Manikanchan – Salt Lake (Kolkata) and Jaipur have since commended operations. In addition, approval has been given for setting up of 42 Special Economic Zones in various parts of the country in the private/joint sectors or by the State Government.
But all is not going well. Questions over proposed changes in land use are piling up, even as the commerce ministry and State governments galore.
Among the proposals that have received provisional approval are SEZs on tribal land and ecologically sensitive coastal areas.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, who recently shot off letters to the Maharashtra government and commerce ministry seeking information under the Right To Information Act, said, "I have found 87 cases of violations in allotment of SEZs, from approvals granted for land that falls under the coastal regulation zone and tribal land, which don’t even meet the minimum land criteria, being given approvals."
Somaiya added, "Worldwide, there are only 393 SEZs but the government has approved as many as 467 SEZs till date, in just 6-7 months."
Another case is that of Pune-based Kumar Builders. The company had applied for a SEZ status for its 49.1 hectare development coming up near Pune.
Initially, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation had expressed reservations and the state government’s screening committee had decided not to support the proposal. However, the builder later submitted clarifications on the basis of which the state is reconsidering the proposal.
While Somaiya contends that the ministry rushed the case through despite MIDC’s reservations, the state government official said the case was taken up for reconsideration only after receiving the developer’s clarifications on the objections raised.
The unusual haste shown at government and beurocratic levels have irked the common public. India is a country that is mainly dependant on agriculture. The farmers here love their land more than anything else. We in India call our country Motherland. That's why someone coming from outside and setting their business has made them angry so much that the care for their own brethern has left the farming commuunity. The irony of this all is that the Left parties who oppose SEZ and Globalization and new economic reforms to the hilt are in Government in West Bengal and Trinmul Congress is oppossing them. What more can one say!

Read More

Tell of Two Woods

The Telugu film industry, that was rocking for last so many years is now seems to face music. The Tollywood seems to have been entangled in the time wrap of its own heydays. This biggest industry of Andhra Pradesh has been facing hard days for some time now and going by its present performance, it will be futile to hope that Telugu films prove to be a treat for our eyes in the year 2007.
There are a number of films slated for release in coming months and they are worth Rs. 100 crores. There have been many upsets in the second half of the 2006, which include Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna starrers. These films have benn marred by the same storylines, inimaginative presentations. One senses as if the makers and performers of these flicks were taking audiences for a ride. This nullity or void on the part of makers has been aptly translated on the Box Office collections with only a handful of films making it in the hits category.
Traditionally Christmas time is considered as auspicious for the film releases as Diwali and in case of Telugu films, that period extends upto Sankranthi. Accordingly, this year from the December 14th, several films will try their luck. NTR Junior's ‘Rakhi’ has been released and it has been received well, if one goes by the initial reviews. Pawan Kalyan has been serching for a hit for last few years and he is throwing his hat with `Annavaram', joining them will be Allu Arjun's `Desamudhuru', Prabhas' `Yogi' which is a remake of Kananda blockbuster ‘Jogi’. Some reports cliam that ‘Yogi’ is to be dubbed in Hindi and one satellite channel has bought rights for the same. Also testing waters will be Balakrishna's `Maharadhi' whose release has been curiously postponed a couple of times now.
These films were bought for staggering prices, all put together are about Rs. 90 crores to Rs. 100 crores. But, given the penchant of formulas and clichés in Telugu films, it is feared that half of these films might bomb miserably unless they have something substantial to offer to the discerning viewers. Already distributors have burned their fingers with Chiranjeevi's `Stalin', Nagarjuna's `Boss' and Mahesh Babu's `Sainikudu', all of which failed to reach the expectations of viewers, though they have garnered good openings. On the other hand, it was the small budget films that made waves bringing happiness to distributors and viewers. Sunil's `Andala Ramudu' is said to have collected four times the investment. Jagapathi Babu's `Samanyudu', which started on a low key, has picked up considerably given its good content.

Says a report in the newspaper ‘Hindu’:

In the year 2006, only a handful of Telugu films hit the bull's eye and about hundred films bit the dust. Mahesh Babu's `Pokiri', Nagarjuna's `Sri Ramadasu', Siddharth's `Bommarillu', Sunil's `Andala Ramudu' and Venkatesh's `Lakshmi' were the only genuine hits this year while several big heroes, including Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna, were down in the dumps.

The biggest duds that incurred huge losses shattering all expectations include Pawan Kalyan's `Bangaram', Balakrishna's `Veerabhadra', NTR Junior's `Ashok', Nagarjuna's `Boss', Chiranjeevi's `Stalin', and Mahesh Babu's `Sainikudu'. Raviteja's `Khatarnak', Prabhas's `Pournami' that halted the juggernaut of producer M.S. Raju, Siddharth's `Chukkallo Chandrudu' were also on the flop list.
To make the matters worse, dubbed films from Kollywood and Hollywood rubbed salt on Telugu films’ wounds when they made a more money than these films. That prompted Telugu films producer’s association to take a drastic step. They decided to impose a ban on the dubbed Tamil films. This move also drew flank from some quarters, since it is many small producers, who use to dub and release the films. Many producers even went ahead as to question the rational behind this move and their argument was unambiguous: if big budget films can be remade and if they can have non-Telugu speaking artists, why can’t we have dubbed films in the first place.

While this year might end with a low note for Telugu films, in stark contrast stands the Tamil movie industry. Kollywood witnessed heightened activity and zeal this year, with many films turning out be profitable ventures. Especially pleasing thing for the industry is that many newcomers and dark horses proved to be winner. Kamal Haasan starrer 'Vettayadu Vilaiyadu' was the first success of the year. This film is still going strong in many parts of Tamil Nadu. On many centers, it has already completed 100 days. It is considered to be a blockbuster.Director K.S. Ravikumar, who had in past delivered hits like Muthu and Padayappa, give yet another hit film with ‘Varlaaru.’ This film initially was delayed much, so much so that nobody thought it would be released at all. But it was released and is running successfully. Its success might be gauged from the fact that after the packed houses run of the films in first few weeks, Superstar Rajnikanth called Ajith, the hero of the film and his wife Shalini on dinner and heaped praises on him. The film is now reckoned as the second coming of Ajith. Varlaaru got such a opening that it is considered to be the best opening a non-Rajini starrer can get.
One such film which kept cash registers ticking was ‘Imsai Arsan 23rd Pulikesi’. Though the film has comedian Vadivelu in the lead role, it enjoyed a good run at the box office. Besides these there are many films like Thimiru, Em magan and now Rendu, which were profitable and had an envious stint on the box office. That made the producers from AP to dub them in Telugu and various other films from Kollywood found themselves to be remade in Kannada. The reason for the success of these films, as I se it, is that they had some original storylines, some out of box presentation and above all, these movies brimmed with novelties. Indeed in the first half of the year, Tamil movie marked was flooded with underworld flick with the successive successes of Thalainagaram, Kokki and other movies. But fortunately enough the trend was averted in time and now industry is reaping bonuses. It is high time Tollywood take a leaf out of Kollywood and enjoy the gains that it truly deserve.

Read More

A Dubious Feat

Sometime ago while commenting upon an UNI story I had written, that dubbed films diminish enjoyment of a particular film. The better option will be to have subtitles instead. Those were my personal opinions and they did not required to be corroborated. On the contrary, I was aware of the fact that a large number of audienc go for such films. Particularly enjoyed from this lot are action movies! Now this fact is proved by a recent report from far south. A prominent English eveninger from Tamilnadu has reported that Telugu dubbed movies are gaining ground once again in the state. Here is an excerpt:
‘‘A decade ago, a host of Telugu films dubbed into Tamil flooded the theatres in the State. Movies of Dr. Rajashekhar, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Vijayashanthi were dubbed and released simultaneously. A handful of them managed a decent run.
Over the years, patronage for such films reduced considerably and virtually came to a standstill with remakes being the norm. In contrast, Tamil moves dubbed to Telugu started to rule the roost in Andhra. The success of Ghajini, Chandramukhi, Poguru (Thimiru in Tamil), 7G Brindavan Colony (7G Rainbow Colony in Tamil) is example.
The popularity of Tamil films being dubbed forced Telugu producers to contemplate a ban on the same. However, after a long gap, Kollywood seems to be veering towards dubbed Telugu films again. Three Telugu movies are ready for release in Tamil now. Chiranjeevi’s Jai Chiranjeeva, Mahesh Babu’s Arjun and Lawrence Raghavendra and Prabhu Deva-starrer Style are slated for release.
Jai Chiranjeeva stars Chiranjeevi, Bhoomika and Sameera Reddy while Arjun features Mahesh Babu and Shriya and the whole movie is set in Madurai. Mahesh Babu, Keerthi Reddy are playing brother and sister and Shreya is in female lead. Prakshraj and Saritha are in other roles. Most of the faces are familiar for Tamil audiences.
According to a prominent distributor, they are confident that these movies will do well. They all have big star cast and a story line, which would be to the liking of the audience. The fate of these movies will set a new path for several other Telugu films waiting to be dubbed Tamil.”
This pondering about the dubbed films did not catch my fancy until I watched Roja recently. This Mani Rathnam directed Arvind Swamy, Madhu starrer was a huge hit in about 1992. Originally released in Tamil, it was released later in dubbed versions in Telugu and Hindi. I was one of those who could not help but mesmerized by this flick in 1993 and there appeared no flaw then in the movie. Just last month I watched it on a channel and realized first time what a crime a dubbed film commits to original. Here I talk of Roja because it was a hit and never have I came across any comment about the quality of the dubbing in this film.
In the movie, the main protagonist Roja is a village girl. Draped in the scenic beauty of rural Tamilnadu, Mani Rathnam has etched out a visual poetry on the silver screen. Now when you see the movie, the girls wearing Pudavai, Selai and men wearing Veshti with elaan, sandalwood powder tilak seen prominently on their forehead are seen speaking in Bihari dialect and accent without slightest hesitation!

This movie was not the only one doing such a thing. The same feat was achieved in the Kamal Haasan movie, Appu Raja where Apoorva Sahodargal was brought on Hindi screen with dubbed dialogues. The lead actor and actress in the film, Kamal Haasan and Revathi respectively, roam singing in the Nilgiri jungle, which has a distinct Southern view in it. But all the characters in the film refer to the place as Lonavala, which is a tourist spot in Maharastra. And all types of trees but Nigiris crowd Lonavala. The same fate fell on Muthu, which is an all time hit of Superstar Rajinikant. Its dubbing is so lackluster that an important aspect of the film is twisted in the process. In the original, the main villain of the film is the brother of the Jamindar’s mother, while in Muthu Maharaja; he is shown as a friend of the Jamindar’s father.
The state of the dubbed films being so, it is really surprising then that they are so popular in the territories where they are exhibited. Lack of quality films in the local language and an appetite for some good films on the part of the people in the region might be a reason for the same. I have seen this curious trend in Hindi nowadays with CDs and DVDs of films popular Southern actors like Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Balkrishna, Venkatesh, Vijay, Vikram, Arjun and many others are being sold. Footpaths of major cities in Maharashtra are full of these and they are being sold in no time.
As said above, quality of dubbing of these films is nothing said the better. Still audience tend to enjoy, at least it seems going by the way they are growing in numbers and people enquiring about them. There are people whom I know, who see these films regularly, and they swear that they do not get the stuff in Bollywood movies. That explains one way the success of dubbed ones. But that has not given recognition to the people concerned with original films as they have received in Telugu.
The dubbed films are in vogue for a long time in Andhra Pradesh where film industry is a major player in the whole of industrial sector in the state. There dubbed films as well as remakes continued to go hand in hand with the original ones and all these have competed each other without whining. But a recent decision of the leaders of the AP film industry might change this scenario. They have decided to impose a ban on the dubbed film releasing in the state and the decision is being implemented from 13th Nov. This year. The move is likely to have an effect not only on Hindi films, but also English, Tamil, Malayalam and other regional languages films as well.
Even James Bond films have been released in their dubbed avatar in the past and they have collected the money as much as Telugu ones. Last year, many Tamil films like Anniyan, Chandramukhi, Thambi, Thimiru, SandaiKozhi etc. were dubbed in Telugu and received more than warm welcome by the Telugu audience. The recent decision might hamper the prospects of new arrivals, but none the same it will surely pave the way for remakes. Already AP film industry is full of rehabilitated Bollywood actors, music directors and above all actresses. If the audience is ready to accept them as much as their own artists, how can artisans keep them at a hand’s bay?
This decision coming on the heels of the success of dubbed Tamil films, might be an attempt to save the Telugu industry from being washed away by the Tamil films, but it will certainly keep the audience with some options ready for them in the form of new films and that too good ones. An audience subsisting on a large number of half-baked stuff will always be worse than the one willing to have a limited but good material at its disposal.

Read More