Small budget Tollywood producers go on hunger strike

PRODUCERS' PROTEST: Small budget film owners say they are victims of the big budget producers' monopoly.

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Hyderabad: Producers of one of the country's largest vernacular movie base are at logger heads with each other. The small budget filmmakers of Tollywood are on a relay hunger strike protesting against the big budget producers calling shots in distribution and exhibition rights.

While there are over 2,400 screens in Andhra Pradesh, every producer seeks only a handful of them to screen his movies. And this time the majority is pitted against four producers who are being accused of stealing the limelight.

While the small budget film owners say they are the victims losing money because of this monopoly, the accused - in this case the big budget filmmakers - say it's the quality that draws audience and a screen is as good as the movie it shows.

The grouse is mainly against established producers like Suresh Babu, Allu Aravaind, Dasar Narayana Rao and Dil Raju or as they are now infamously clubbed: The big Four. This for introducing a fixed monthly rental system with the theatre owners instead of sharing the profits.

Suresh Babu says, "If a theatre is not showing your film then its only because your product is of inferior quality. It's a case of sour grapes."

And now with the small budget producers threatening to go on an indefinite hunger strike, the protest is gaining rapid momentum.