Tollywood Producers Prefer Telangana Over AP

Producers preferring TS over AP. A top exhibitor speaking to scribes made a startling revelation saying that top producers are preferring Telangana over Andhra Pradesh. He said “With producers and their offices primarily located in Hyderabad, there is minimal effort to invest in Andhra Pradesh or support its government’s film policies,”

He rued that though AP generates 70% of the revenue through box office collections for films and Telangana generates only 30%, producers who origin from AP prefer Telangana. “Since most production houses are based in Hyderabad, producers file GST Form No. 37 there, directing tax revenues to Telangana. Out of the 18% GST on movie tickets, 9% goes to the Central government, while the remaining 9% is allocated to the respective state,” He added.

He said despite Chandra Babu, AP CM  offering many sops, there are no takers. He said “Even location charges for shooting in Andhra Pradesh are waived, while filming in Telangana comes with high costs,”  He shared that though AP government asked the producers and other stakeholders to come up with a draft policy, they did not show any interest.

Prasanna Kumar, teasurer of Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce said “The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce has always maintained cordial relations with the Andhra Pradesh government and has given multiple representations for consideration,”

He added “We have over 7,000 members, including studios, producers, exhibitors, and distributors. Broad consultations are necessary to finalize a collective agenda. But honestly, our members were given ample time to respond, not just at the last minute,” he concluded.