TANA Is Disaster, NATS Is A Hit: Here’s Why!

The Telugu community in the United States is known for holding some of the most ambitious events in the country. TANA on one side, NATS on the other, these two organizations emerged with the intention of preserving at least a bit of Telugu culture among the Telugu diaspora in America.

Though it’s not exactly a competition between them, over time it has become a sort of tradition for both to conduct parallel events, honoring celebrities and bringing Telugu people together.

This time, both TANA and NATS events happened around the same time in America, and there’s talk that while TANA was a flop show, NATS turned out to be a super hit.

Looking into the details, TANA is usually considered a festival for NRIs affiliated with the TDP and its associated organizations, especially when the TDP is in power in Andhra Pradesh, like now.

TANA convention centers tend to be filled with TDP ministers and MLAs, and whoever has a visa usually makes it a point to attend. But now NATS is also giving competition. Guests from Telugu states are seen at both events on different days, moving around between the two.

TANA generally has more membership and higher-paying donors. However, this time, people are saying that the celebratory spirit was missing. The chief guest at TANA was AP Deputy Speaker Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, popularly known as Triple R.

On the other side, Nandamuri Balakrishna also came but reportedly gave more importance to NATS. Many celebrities attended NATS, but membership was lower there.

In AP politics, especially within TDP, TANA is said to have significant influence. For instance, many skipped a key meeting held by Chandrababu with party MLAs. Babu asked leaders to stay close to the people and launched a governance program.

But in that very meeting, Babu sternly warned those who attended TANA and NATS, saying, “TATA BYE BYE” to them. Hearing this, many rushed back to India, skipping the rest of the TANA events. Thus, fewer people participated in TANA this time, and funds didn’t come in like before.

Another reason might be the widespread buzz that TANA is under FBI watch, making donors hesitant. So, even film celebrities didn’t shine at the event. Those who did attend say the programs weren’t that great. Even top Tollywood celebrities didn’t show up, with mostly older actors present.

There’s debate among NRIs about whether the absence of stars was due to fear of the FBI or due to TDP leadership warnings.

People believe that if someone like Nara Lokesh had attended, many officials and others would’ve followed, making the venue crowded. But since he didn’t attend, no one gave TANA much attention.

In the past, with TDP in power, both TANA and NATS events used to attract huge celebrity crowds. But this time, that trend has changed, and TANA lacked its usual charm.

Normally, when big politicians attend, they bring crowds with them, including friends and family. Last time, TANA had such a massive turnout that there were even fights at the food counters. This time, everyone is asking – where’s that buzz?

No such crowding or commotion happened. Some say that since the US government has become stricter, many with non-immigrant visas stayed away, fearing photos or videos might get leaked.

Earlier, people used to proudly post their TANA photos and videos online. This time, even that visibility was missing, suggesting that everything happened quietly and cautiously.

In the end, while TANA once symbolized excitement, noise, celebrations, and cheer, this time it was quiet and dull. The absence of “big shots” is seen as a major drawback. NRIs are confused about what exactly led to this situation. Meanwhile, the talk is that NATS turned out to be a clear success.