Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy chose to stay for nearly two-and-a-half hours afterr commiting to spend only an hour for the event, the film producer noted.
| Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT
The Telangana State Gaddar Film Awards, revived after a 14-year gap, were expected to be a grand celebration of cinematic excellence and cultural pride but the glaring absence of several Tollywood stars has triggered disappointment.
Film Development Corporation (FDC) Chairman and film producer Dil Raju did not mask his frustration on the absence of stars, though he did not name them openly. When awards come from the government, they deserve special respect. The recipients should attend personally, no matter how busy they are, is what he indicated at an interaction with the media thanking them for the support.
Notable absentees were stars like Prabhas, Mahesh Babu, NTR and Ram Charan, who are showered with love by the film lovers, and of course, the governments through concessions to them. Several top heroines too were missing from the grand event that was held after a gap of 14 years and for the first time after the formation of Telangana.
There will be eyebrows raised and questions asked, which Mr. Dil Raju couldn’t ask given his predicament of being close to the top stars producing movies with them. And this was after meticulous planning and invitations extended in advance.
In a veiled message, Mr. Dil Raju expressed his displeasure at the absence, reminding that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, though allotted just one hour as per schedule, chose to stay for nearly two-and-a-half hours. The gesture of the government, first in reviving the awards, and later the CM himself spending nearly three hours, should be seen how the film industry is respected.
The absence of top stars has also raised some pertinent questions, how serious is the Telugu film industry when it comes to Telangana and its cultural initiatives. The same celebrities regularly grace the film award shows of private groups, and even travel abroad for those shows. How come the government-conducted and culturally significant event is missed.
Film lovers are reminded of how, in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, State film awards were star-studded affairs, considered prestigious and eagerly awaited. The revival of the awards in Telangana was expected to bring back that lost glory, but the poor turnout by top actors has dampened that spirit.
Published – June 15, 2025 10:32 PM is
