Films are a staple of Indian audiences. And Andhra Pradesh is no different. Though there has been talk of the Telugu Film Industry shifting base to Andhra Pradesh, the TFI is firmly entrenched in Telangana.
On Tuesday, Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt who played Pakistani cop SP Chowdhary in Durandhar and Dhurandhar 2 met with Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu.
So far, the CM’s office hasn’t revealed what brewed during the meeting. But there is talk that Chandrababu spoke about a world-class studio in Amaravati, shootings in Vizag and other places. The CM also clarified about the single-window clearance that is given to Telugu film industry.
Now there is talk that the Bollywood might make big investments in the state apart from shooting films across Andhra Pradesh. It is said the CM also assured Dutt of providing good infrastructure facilities across the state for film shoots.
So the big question is will Telugu film industry rise from slumber and be a step ahead of Bollywood in setting up studios and start shooting extensively in AP? With low audience turnout and increasing number of viewers turning to OTT for films and film content, Tollywood is being careful in making the big move.
Incidentally, the same problems daunt the Hindi film industry. Though the success of Dhurandhar has sort of revived a near-dead Bollywood filmscape, there is no guarantee that viewers will flock to theaters in coming days.
However, political leaders and industry leaders feel that the TFI must be given priority over other industries. Time will tell who wins the race as Andhra Pradesh is open for investments from across industries.
