Dubbing Films + Imported Actors = TFI

Telugu Film Industry is sitting on the horns of a dilemma. On the one hand it wants the government to discourage dubbed films and on the other it faces the charges of encouraging imports at the cost of local talent. The Producers Council recently met the Chief Minister K. Kiran Kumar Reddy with a representation to hike the tax for dubbed films and slash the tax rates for desi films. Small budge and straight films (Telugu) are unable to get dates due to the rush of dubbing films swarming the screens during festival season as the tax rate is low while the production (dubbing) cost is far less.

As on date there are about 26 small films waiting for release while big banners have booked the theatres till Sankranti and many of the theatres are controlled by some production houses as well. The two-edged sword spells dichotomy as a senor artiste accused the Producers (or Film Chamber) of allowing actors from other languages to act in Telugu films. They neither know the language nor have the native look but they are paid more than local artistes and are getting a far better treatment which is not going well with local artistes, says veteran star Kota Srinivasa Rao.

It is always producers, hero and or the director that matter and they decide the line of any film. They have decided that every film can have a maximum of three artistes from outside, which invariably includes the heroine. Movie Artistes Association (MAA) is also in the know of things and gave its nod. Paradox is that majority of the heroines are not members of MAA and it has served notices on them and set a deadline but nothing happened.

Whether the big and powerful production houses and families control MAA or not, no action seems to be taken on them. Still the heroines continue act in big budget films while members of the association struggle for existence or are being sidelined or underpaid and at times ill-treated. 

“The amount they spend on imports is exorbitant and anyone coming from other states is given priority and a royal treatment. Even I acted in Hindi and other languages and they treat us like any other artiste or even a shade less, but here it is the opposite. They accuse me of coming late and charging more. When people of other languages are paid hefty sums, being a local talent, I can demand a higher sum. They pay if they need me but they cannot use this as a propaganda tool to smudge me and promote them,” Kota said during a debate on Hollywood crisis beamed by a TV Channel.

“We were given land and other sops by the State Government in a bid to shift the Telugu Film Industry from Chennai to city. We should do justice to what we received and what we promised to the Government. At least the next generation should be given enough chances and producers should not make use of the resolution of taking three imports per film to the hilt,” he suggested.

While the producer’s council is harping on increasing tax for dubbing films and restricting the number of screens, another controversy broke with a young star praising a Tamil film and a director and senior artiste taking objection to it. The issue was hushed up later. But dubbing films are cutting into the local films’ revenue. When top stars and big business houses are spacing their films and restricting to one film a year and small timers are unable to get the screens as a section of the film land prefers dubbed versions over the low budget films.

Film Chamber has set up a committee roping in producers, studio owners, distributors and exhibitors to sort out the complex issue. For sure, a consensus unlikely but it is a good step for the betterment of the industry. When Karnataka film artistes demanded a ban on Telugu films as there were no takers for their home films, Telugu artistes raised a hue and cry.  Karnataka government intervened and imposed some restrictions. Even in Tamil Nadu there are restrictions over other language films in terms of number of screens and tax structure as well.

Tollywood is also asking for the same. At the same time it should also consider how much of encouragement is it giving to local talent and whether or not the dependency rate on imports is growing.