It is known news that Tollywood has initially decided to stop providing content for the selected channels from 2nd May (i.e. today’s midnight) but later Naga Babu rubbished the news saying, it is just a speculation. What transpired between these two incidents that led Tollywood to hold back on it’s decision. Here is some inside info on this.
Allam Narayana and Kranthi from journalist unions met bigwigs of Telugu Film Industry and had a series of discussions. Suresh Babu, Tammareddy, Allu Aravind and KL Narayana represented TFI and held discussions with them. As per reports, they discussed below points and TFI team finally assured them – there is no ban on news media.
What did they discuss? It seems the discussion process involved both the positive and negative aspects of media and Film Industry relation. It seems these journalists representing media have explained Film Industry that- after Sri Reddy crossing the limits, media maintained self-restraint and stopped inviting her to any debates In the channels. Also they explained Tollywood big wigs that media channels have started this discussion as part of ongoing debate on casting couch throughout the world in various industries including Hollywood and the media channels never had any political angle or conspiracy for taking up issue.
At the same time, as per reports, they questioned Tollywood bigwigs for diverting casting couch issue and making it political issue. They seem to have asked Tollywood people about the evidences on all the conspiracy theories film industry is propagating about media channels. They questioned- why did the film industry people circulated morphed videos of Sri Reddy and tried to develop hatred on media among the people. They also questioned why film industry people are behaving like caste leaders or political leaders instead of like film celebrities. Also they questioned TFI for provoking people and damaging media properties. They also seemed to have questioned Tollywood heads for taking decisions of only some people into consideration and not considering many other groups of Tollywood that are not supporting this decision of banning the news channels. Why did entire film industry supporting one political party’s (janasena) view on this issue. Also film industry is trying to expose the shortfalls and defects of media channels and impress up on Telugu people that these media channels have malicious intentions. These shortfalls and defects that you are highlighting about media are actually baseless. Shall we also do the same thing and expose the shortfalls and defects of various departments of film industry henceforth.
As per the reports among media circles, these are the various points put forward by journalist unions in front of Tollywood bigwigs and it seems Tollywood bigwigs have considered these and temporarily put the decision on hold. This is the viewpoint now widely circulated in media circles.
However there is an alternate viewpoint discussed among analysts on this issue and on this latest response of Tollywood. Tollywood never wanted to go on official ban on any of these channels. Some of the Tollywood bigwigs, who are hurt by the behavior of these media channels, decided to exercise self- restraint and avoid particular channels but give the content to other channels. Anyway it is business, it is their own product and it is their own decision – to which channel they want to give the content and to which TV channel they will not give. So only these Tollywood people will exercise that self-restraint and will not force others (at least officially) not to give content to those particular channels. So, if this is a self-restraint exercise they don’t have to officially say that they are banning some news channels.
So, irrespective of what this film people are saying officially, people will come to know about their actual decision soon by observing whether these channels are getting content or not in future!!
