Vijayawada: Deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyanlashed out at the Telugu film industry on Saturday, accusing certain sections of deliberately attempting to obstruct the release of his upcoming film ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ by planning a statewide theatre bandh.“Thank you for the return gift,” he said sarcastically, referring to what he called an “orchestrated move” to embarrass him and the NDA govt in the state.The Jana Sena chief warned that the state govt would no longer entertain personal lobbying or private appeals from producers, particularly regarding ticket price hikes or special permissions. “From now on, there will be no personal discussions with the govt. Only officially recognised representatives from the film industry will be entertained,” he declared.He also criticised the Telugu film associations for “failing” to meet chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu even once since the coalition govt assumed power a year ago. “Have they forgotten how the previous govt harassed actors, technicians, and top producers? The current govt stands for development, not vendetta. Yet, some in the industry choose to stay silent or act selfishly,” he fumed.Questioning the motive behind the proposed theatre bandh call from June 1 (which has now been withdrawn), he said it’s not a coincidence. “When films from other families are released, the industry stays united. But when it’s mine, theatres suddenly shut down. Why?” he asked.A comprehensive inquiry is now underway into theatre operations, ticket pricing, leaseholder practices, and tax compliance across the state, he said.
