Naga Vamsi Fires Back at Theater Issue Debate
He said, “We already invested hundreds of crores in the industry. Around 25 films are currently in the shooting stage.
Producer Naga Vamsi reacted strongly to the ongoing issue between exhibitors and distributors in the Telugu film industry. He said the film industry works like an “eco-system” and if one section faces problems, the remaining sections will also suffer.
Speaking about the recent comments made by exhibitors, Naga Vamsi said producers and distributors are also facing many financial difficulties at the ground level. He said that giving deadlines and using threatening language against producers is not the right approach.
He said, “We already invested hundreds of crores in the industry. Around 25 films are currently in the shooting stage. Many films have already completed 70 to 80 percent of their budgets. Suddenly bringing new rules at this stage is not fair.”
Naga Vamsi clearly stated that producers are not ready to accept the percentage system for movies that are already under production. However, he mentioned that discussions can happen for future projects if exhibitors insist on the new system.
At the same time, he said there should be proper conditions before implementing any changes. According to him, all theaters cannot have the same percentage system. He explained that theaters should be graded based on facilities and maintenance standards. He also asked for transparency in theater maintenance costs and convenience charges.
Naga Vamsi also made indirect comments on multiplex owners. He said it was surprising to see a major exhibitor, who controls hundreds of multiplex screens, talking about the struggles of single-screen theaters. He hinted that multiplex growth itself affected the income of single-screen theaters.
The producer also rejected comparisons with other film industries. He said Telugu cinema is financially stronger than many other industries in India. “Why should we take a well-performing system backward?” he questioned.
Naga Vamsi further added, “An exhibitor is important, but a distributor is equally important. How can you save exhibitors by killing distributors?”
He finally said improving facilities in single-screen theaters can attract more audiences back to cinemas.
The ongoing issue has now become a major topic in Tollywood. Many people believe both exhibitors and producers must sit together and find a balanced solution. Otherwise, reduced movie content and theater closures may become a serious problem for the industry.