Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has voiced his disappointment over the Telugu film industry's lack of response to the state government's proposal for the newly established Gaddar Awards.
In January of this year, the Congress government announced the decision to replace the prestigious Nandi Awards with the Gaddar Awards, and the Chief Minister called on the Telugu film industry to provide feedback and suggestions on how to implement this new initiative effectively.
Despite this invitation, the film industry's silence has raised concerns and frustration from the Chief Minister.
"We introduced the Gaddar Awards to honor the contributions and achievements within the Telugu film industry, but it's disheartening to see no engagement or response from the industry leaders," Revanth Reddy remarked.
He made these comments at an event at Ravindra Bharathi on Monday, where the "Vishwambhara Dr. C. Narayana Reddy National Literary Award" was presented to noted Tamil author and activist Sivasankari.
Revanth Reddy reminded the audience that on January 31, during the official Gaddar Jayanti celebrations organized by the state government for the first time at Ravindra Bharathi, he had announced that the Telangana government would establish the Gaddar Awards in place of the Nandi Awards, which were previously presented in United Andhra Pradesh to recognize excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television.
The awards are named after Gaddar, in honor of the revered revolutionary singer of Telangana who passed away in August 2023.
"I had hoped for a collaborative effort, with filmmakers, actors, and other stakeholders coming together to make the Gaddar Awards a true celebration of our cinematic heritage. But there has been no response from the Telugu film industry so far. I don't understand why they are silent. Their input is crucial for the success of this initiative, and their silence is disappointing," Revanth Reddy said.
The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to the Gaddar Awards and urged the Telugu film industry to come forward with their proposals.