The ongoing strike in the Tollywood, now stretching into its tenth day, has brought all shooting schedules to a standstill. At the heart of the dispute is the Film Workers Federation’s demand for a 30% wage increase for all categories of workers.
Producers, represented by the Film Chamber and the Producers Council, had earlier agreed to a 15% hike for the lowest-paid workers and promised two additional increments of 5% each in stages. However, Federation president Anil Vallabhaneni has rejected the offer, insisting that the 30% raise must apply to everyone, without exceptions. He criticised attempts to divide the unions and vowed to continue the strike with full force. He even warned that he was prepared to begin a hunger strike if necessary and would face any legal action in response.
Multiple rounds of discussions between both sides have so far failed. Today’s meeting at the Film Chamber, attended by industry heavyweights and union leaders, ended in yet another deadlock. Producers remain unwilling to approve the full 30% increase, while the Federation is determined to keep the strike going until their demands are met.
Notable attendees from the producers’ side included Chamber president Bharat Bhushan, secretary Damodar Prasad, treasurer Prasanna Kumar, and senior producers like Dil Raju, C. Kalyan, Thaman Kumar, Thagur Madhu, Cherry from Mythri Movie Makers, Gemini Kiran, S.K.N., Supriya Yarlagadda, Vivek Kuchibhotla, Sravanthi Ravi Kishore, and directors Teja and Y.V.S. Chowdary.
From the Federation, Coordination Chairman Veerashankar, president Anil Vallabhaneni, general secretary Ammiraju, treasurer Alex, and women’s production head Lalitha were among those present.
With neither side showing signs of compromise, the industry faces mounting delays in film production. If the stalemate continues, the strike could become one of the most disruptive labour disputes in recent history of Tollywood, affecting release schedules, budgets, and the livelihoods of thousands of workers.