Telangana’s latest approval for Nani’s The Paradise has brought an interesting question into focus. Along with allowing higher ticket prices and a special premiere, the government has made it mandatory for the producers to contribute Rs 1 crore to the Telugu Film Industry Employees’ Welfare Committee. The fund is meant for the welfare of workers and employees in the film industry.
What makes this more interesting is that The Paradise is not the first recent example. Yash’s Toxic also received a ticket-price hike in Telangana with the same Rs 1 crore welfare contribution condition.
This naturally raises a question about Andhra Pradesh. The state also has a sizeable Telugu film industry and film-worker organisations. Yet, in recent ticket-hike approvals such as Toxic, AP’s conditions have focused on revised ticket prices and special shows, without a similar Rs 1 crore worker-welfare contribution.
So, why hasn’t Andhra Pradesh considered a similar model? If producers are being given permission to charge more for tickets, should a portion of that additional revenue also be linked to the welfare of the workers behind these films?
Telangana has now created a clear precedent. Whether AP follows the same route remains an interesting question for the industry.
