T-agitators scare Tollywood

The Telugu film industry is very much worried over the growing attacks on studios and shooting spots by Telangana activists demanding separate statehood.

Film industry sources say the producers have lost tremendously not only because of a slump in theatre collections in Telangana region, but also due to frequent attacks on the film shootings. They apprehend that the attacks are pre-planned with an intention to scare the Andhra actors and producers. This has forced the Telangana producers and film makers and technicians forming into a separate federation so as to avoid attacks on them.

On Sunday, pro-Telangana activists attacked the office of Geeta Arts, a production firm owned by well-known film producer Allu Arvind, who is also the general secretary of K. Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party. Raising slogans of 'Jai Telangana', a group of protesters attacked the office at the posh Jubilee Hills and hoisted a banner of 'Telangana Youth Joint Action Committee' on it. Police reached the scene and arrested the protesters, who are said to be from Mahabubnagar district.

The latest attack has heightened security concerns in the film industry, dominated by coastal Andhra region. A furious Allu Arvind said it was the responsibility of all political parties to ensure that the Telangana agitation does not spark a war with people of other regions settled in Hyderabad.