In light of the ongoing strike in Tollywood, ‘Rising Producers’ held a press meet at Prasad Labs, Hyderabad

In light of the ongoing strike in Tollywood, Rising Producers held a press meet at Prasad Labs, Hyderabad, expressing their concerns over the increasing burden on small filmmakers due to federation rules and worker demands.

Producers like SKN, Dheeraj Mogilineni, Rajesh Danda, Prime Show Chaitanya, Chai Bisket Sharath, Madhura Sreedhar, Maheshwar Reddy, and Rakesh Varre highlighted how demands such as a 30% wage hike from film workers are severely affecting small-budget films.

Key Concerns Raised:

• Rajesh Danda said small producers are struggling, and halting shoots due to the strike is worsening the situation. Payments are being made, but it's unclear where the money is going, especially when only a fraction of the claimed crew is on set.

• Madhura Sreedhar pointed out that even a small scene needs union permissions and excessive crew, increasing costs unnecessarily.

• Prime Show Chaitanya stressed that while all industries are facing slowdowns, film producers are expected to maintain inflated employment rules. He urged flexible, situation-based decision-making.

• Vamsi Nandipati questioned why low-budget films are now costing 4-5 times more and called for unions to see things from a producer’s perspective.

• Dheeraj Mogilineni emphasized that they came into the industry with passion, not to be burdened by rigid outdated union rules.

• Rakesh Varre compared costs of shooting with local talent vs full union crews, saying a film that cost ₹1.5 crore earlier now costs ₹8 crore, making recovery impossible for small films.

• Sharath (Chai Bisket) said they’re not against unions but urged dialogue and understanding between both parties.

• SKN passionately stated that 90% of Tollywood consists of small producers who have no power or positions. He said, "We’re not Rising Producers, we’re Burning Producers," calling out the lack of empathy from unions and the unrealistic demands. He demanded clarity from industry associations and said they are willing to stop filmmaking if things don’t improve. SKN called on the Telangana and AP governments to intervene and protect small filmmakers.

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