While good number of people from Telugu film fraternity, film buffs and movie analysts have ridiculed the recently announced Nandi awards by the Andhra Pradesh govt. how could Ram Gopal Varma, who preys upon controversies, remain silent? The maverick filmmaker was at his satiric best in trolling the committee.

Varma opined that the Nandi Awards Committee deserves an Oscar award for their ‘honest’ efforts. ‘No committee in the world would have given awards ‘purely based on merit’, ‘without any partiality’ like Nandi awards committee did. Such honest committee should be given an Oscar award,’ Varma said.

The ‘Shiva’ maker called the committee’s selection ‘super duper mindblowing extraordinary’, and added that he wants to touch the feet of all the committee members.

What a way to troll the committee in the guise of praising it.

Nandi awards controversy is growing big each day and it looks like a Mega versus AP state government, but the actual picture is little different. If we have to observe in a proper way, this controversy doesnot involve all the mega heroes neither the Akkineni heroes, but it all points towards Allu Arjun only on one side and Nandi Awards jury on the other.

Be it the press meets or the protesting words, it all started and moving ahead based on ‘character’ award announcement for Allu Arjun in Rudramadevi and the injustice done for the film ‘Race Gurram’. The producers and directors who openly protested against the Nandi awards announced this year are either from Allu Arjun camp or for his films.

Bunny Vas never indulged into a controversy and was always soft spoken, until he raised his voice against the discrimination shown towards mega hero. Rumors had it that Bunny vas would not want to participate in live TV debates regarding the Nandi controversy, unless he came in with Allu camp’s permission or backing. On the other side, producer Nallamapalu Bujji too is known for his silent nature, but came out demanding justice for his film Race Gurram.

Director Gunasekhar suspected conspiracy to damage Allu Arjun’s stardom, while the latter was announced award for ‘Best Character’ actor in Rudramadevi, while the director applied nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ category. There are rumors in film circles that none of these protests get triggered without a word or hint from Allu Arjun and Aravind.

Keeping the reasons of protest aside, this turmiol is becoming big and powerful each day like never before and right now it remains unpredictable.

The way Nandamuri Balakrishna-starrer Legend bagged as many as nine Nandi awards, including the best actor award, from the Andhra Pradesh government for the year 2014 has drawn a lot of sharp criticism from several quarters.

Critics said Legend was an out and out commercial film with focus only on Balakrishna’s histrionics and doesn’t deserve so many awards.

For that matter, other commercial films like Race Gurram with a message of bonding between siblings fared much better at the box office and was more entertaining than Legend.

However, jury member and producer Prasanna Kumar gave a surprising explanation for selecting Legend for the best film, best actor and best director awards.

“It is a commercial film no doubt, but it has a social message as an undercurrent. It highlights the issue of fighting against foeticide (killing girl foetuses within mother’s womb). What is more important is that it also attacks purchasing of other party MLAs with big money,” he said.

If what Prasanna Kumar said is right, Legend is a straight rebuke, albeit indirectly, on Balakrishna’s brother-in-law and AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu himself.

During the year of film making itself, Naidu lured several of YSR Congress party MLAs into his ruling Telugu Desam Party. And there are allegations that he had spent crores of rupees in purchasing MLAs from the opposition party.

If Naidu comes to know about Prasanna Kumar’s comments, who knows, he might even cancel all the awards given to Legend!

Akkineni Akhil’s second film Hello’s teaser is out now. Directed by genius filmmaker Vikram Kumar, it is an action packed romance in which a boy goes the distance to find his soulmate.

The seventy-seconds teaser opens with Nagarjuna’s voiceover saying that the luckiest people on earth are the ones who meet and share their life with their soulmate.

Visuals clearly show that a couple is separated in their childhood and the boy as a youngster goes on searching his girlfriend to say Hello to her.

The film looks like a romance drama from the outset, but Akhil has performed some daredevil stunts for the film. He is seen jumping from high rise building tops and running on containers on the highway.

Hello teaser has set the expectation meter at the top with topnotch visuals and praiseworthy production values.

With Vikram Kumar at the helm, we can expect Hello to offer many surprises on the script front. Kalyani Priyadarshan is playing the female lead in the film that is striking the screens on Dec 22.

Currently, the comments made by people on both side, including those Nandi Awards jury members and the people who missed it, are sounding louder as we hear. But the thing is, there is nothing that could stop actors just because an award hasn’t come.

Today afternoon, Race Gurram producer Nallamalupu Bujji expressed his disappointment for Race Gurram not getting an award and also for Allu Arjun’s performance in Rudramadevi not properly honored. He opined, “You cannot do such gross injustice to Allu Arjun by calling him a Character Artist rather giving that Best Supporting Actor award”.

Director Gunasekhar also opined the same, adding, “The actor who got Best Supporting Award could be given Character Artist award also. But you can’t call Allu Arjun as a character artist by giving him that award”.

For 2015, Allu Arjun was conferred Best Character Artist award and Posani Krishnamurali was given Best Supporting Actor award.

If we have to speak reality, with many popular awards losing their sheen in the recent times, definitely these trophies just fill showcases at home but nothing else. Talented likes of the country like Amir Khan branded these awards as a mockery many times. Whether Allu Arjun is called Supporting Actor or Character Artist, there is no way his stardom is going down and his film collections either.

Director Bala of Sivaputrudu fame is known for churning out some hard-hitting stories filled with cruel and unethical characters. And his latest film ‘Naachiyar’ featuring former heroine Jyothika and composer GV Prakash in the leads is no different.

Shocking thing is that Jyothika agreed to play the most negative role every she played ever in this film as a tough and bad cop. She’s seen wearing khaki, bashing goons and showcasing her mettle with third-degree torture. Here goes the most surprising element of the recently released teaser.

Actually, Jyothika mouths the words ‘son of bitch’ in the Tamil language at the end of the teaser and that is the only dialogue in this 1-minute video. This did not go well with Kollywood circles as they started blaming the actress for using that cuss word. While censor will be muting that word in theatrical trailer and TV versions for sure, this ‘boothu’ compliance version is breaking internet now.

On the other side, GV Prakash lot of impact as a runaway smalltime criminal and his deglam looks are simply amazing. Also Jyothika done her part fantastically if we have to say by the trailer, sans that cuss word.

It is a known fact that the Telugu film industry predominantly favours Telugu Desam Party.

Majority of the Tollywood stars and producers belong to the Kamma community that makes up Telugu Desam, as their party was established by late NT Ramarao and is currently headed by Chandrababu Naidu, both Kamma leaders.

With Gunasekhar exposing how the jury members fudged the Nandi Awards and favoured those talented from the Kamma community, Telugu Desam party and Nandamuri Balakrishna were projected in a bad light. Balayya’s name has been completely tarnished.

Now, everyone is openly criticizing that Andhra Pradesh government has made the awards as ‘caste’ awards. With media widely reporting the same and Gunasekhar getting wide support on social media, the pro-TDP celebrities in Tollywood are cornered.

Strong buzz in the industry is that some powerful producers who are close to TDP and Balakrishna have decided to boycott Gunasekhar. It will be done in a clandestine manner. No one will utter a word against him, but the powerful producers will not give him offers.

The Nandi Awards row is snowballing into a major controversy as several industry folks are openly taking stand in and against the jury, AP state government.Apparently, many are taking advantage of the whole situation and coming out in open to prove their loyalties towards a family or a hero or his group.

While a few are openly taking sides in support of Mega Family and taking pot shots at the government for not doing ‘equal justice’ hoping to be in their good books, others lament that the awards have been announced for the rightful candidates and countering the arguments of opposing folks in order to impress the other side of the line.

Apparently, many are now using the whole issue in their benefit and taking advantage of the controversy by speaking up their voice in favour of their stars, producers, directors. Industry is apparently now divided into groups over the Nandi Awards row.

This kind of nature is not new in industry. However, this has now come out in open. As initially a few people started to speak against the Awards Jury, many have followed the suit. Even rumour mongers say that the actors, producers and their fans who are speaking against the AP government would not dare to if similar awards are announced by Telangana government.

So, it needs to be seen where this whole issue would go and where it is going to end.