Telugu film industry has a number of associations, unions and clubs, which go to elections periodically once in two years or three years. Whenever elections are held, they kick up one controversy or the other.
We have seen how much heat and dust had been raised during the elections to Movie Artistes’ Association (MAA). They were no less dramatic and turbulent than the assembly elections or parliament elections.
Allegations and counter-allegations, daily press conferences and attacks and counter-attacks on the social media were the order of the day.
However, elections to producers’ council and Telugu film chamber of commerce are always a smooth affair, because they involve bigwigs in the industry.
Those who had made films decades ago and have now become outdated sit in high positions and those who really matter in the industry play behind the screen role.
Now, there is a latest controversy in the industry – with regard to elections to Film Nagar Cultural Club. This club was formed during the period of DVS Raju with the support of N T Rama Rao government.
The land to this club at Jubilee Hills was allotted by the government and there are buildings for the club and the guesthouse on the premises.
The FNCC has a membership of over 4,500. It is very difficult for common people to get membership in this club, as they have to pay Rs 16 lakh for the life-time membership. Initially, only those who had plots in the Film Nagar were the members in this club.
In the later days, not only plot owners, but also their children were given membership in this club. Subsequently, politicians, real estate dealers and other rich and influential people were given the membership.
As the number started swelling, people holding the club management realised that they would lose their control over the club. So, since 2008, they started insisting on affidavits from the new members stating that they would have no voting rights. Only those who signed this affidavit were given the membership.
This has now become a matter of controversy. Those who had paid lakhs of rupees as membership fee and helped the club become financially strong are now wondering why they don’t have any say in the club activities.
Out of 4,500 club members, only 2,500 have the voting rights and others are just nominal members. This has now become a big issue, as it is against the democratic principles. If anybody questions this discrimination, the club management takes out by-laws and old affidavits.
Apparently, the club management is under the control of a particular community, which is apprehensive that if all the members are given voting rights, the community will lose its hold over the club.
In fact, there is already a case, filed by Prasanna Kumar, pending in the court against the alleged irregularities in FNCC activities. Now, it’s election time for the club and the members have started demanding voting rights for them, leading to a lot of heated debates.
Those who have been ruling the roost in the club all these days have started moving pawns to see that they don’t lose hold over the club. While present president Adiseshagiri Rao has decided to contest again, prominent producer Daggubati Suresh Babu, too, has entered the fray.
However, elders in the club are learnt to have convinced Suresh Babu to withdraw from the contest and allow Adiseshagiri Rao to get re-elected for the present term, on the assurance that the former would be given the chance in the next elections.
Similarly, Mullapudi Mohan will contest the elections as general secretary, but the present general secretary K S Rama Rao is expected to contest as an independent.
Against this backdrop, there have been several voices demanding voting rights to all the members. The caste and regional equations – like Andhra-Telangana, Kamma-non-Kamma -- are also playing important role in these FNCC elections. It remains to be seen whether these issues get subsided or take serious turn.
