The Telugu film industry's top celebrities, led by Telangana Film Development Corporation (TFDC) Chairman Dil Raju, met Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and Cinematography Minister KomatiReddy Venkat Reddy on Thursday.
The meeting followed the Sandhya Theater stampede case and Allu Arjun’s recent arrest.
But what was achieved?
After the meeting, production houses and celebrities took to social media to praise the Telangana government’s efforts and its vision of making Hyderabad a global filmmaking hub.
Dil Raju, now closely associated with the Telangana government, echoed the same sentiments, dismissing “minor issues” like ticket price hikes as topics of discussion.
However, critics and the public see this as a repeat of past meetings with political leaders, giving rise to a déjà vu feeling.
Comparisons are being drawn with similar meetings with the TRS government and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's administration.
At the time, many celebrities, including Dil Raju and others, criticized YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for perceived disrespect and voiced concerns over the industry's treatment.
Ironically, Dil Raju is now lavishing praise on Revanth Reddy, despite receiving comparable treatment. Harish Shankar, who had previously been vocal, chose to stay in the background during the photo ops and maintained silence.
Even veteran actor Murali Mohan, who once revealed in an interview that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy made them enter the CM's office through a separate door, has now stepped forward to laud Telangana’s Chief Minister.
This perceived duplicity has led to widespread trolling of the Tollywood fraternity, with many calling out the inconsistency in their narratives.