Two Telugu film bodies vie for representation rights

HYDERABAD: A chaotic situation is prevailing in the Telugu film industry post bifurcation. And the ball is now in chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's court to bring the curtains down on a dispute that has been raging for the last few months.
The Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce (APFCC) and the Telangana State Film Chamber of Commerce (TSFCC), both film umbrella bodies, have been vying to be recognized as the legitimate body to represent the Telugu film industry.
"It is only fair that the TSFCC represent the interests of the film community in Telangana," president of the body, M Vijayendar Reddy, told TOI after an executive committee meeting on Tuesday. In fact, representations have been made to the chief minister and cinematography minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav. "The minister has assured that he will speak to all those concerned with the issues related to the film industry," he added.
The APFCC, however, is unwilling to be sidelined in Telangana. It has even said it would change its name to the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce so that it can represent the film industry in both the states.
But the TSFCC has made it clear that APFCC can retain its name and represent only the AP film industry. To assert its identity as a separate body, the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce had changed its name to Telangana State Film Chamber of Commerce after the new state was formed. With the film industry sharply divided on this issue, the elections to the APFCC that were scheduled for June 2014 were postponed.
Until the bifurcation, the APFCC was the umbrella body which was also accepted by the TFCC as its members were also part of the former. However, with the bifurcation, TFCC became TSFCC, and is determined to part ways with the APFCC and become the sole body to represent the film industry in Telangana.
TSFCC's idea to increase state revenue
The TSFCC has come up with suggestions on how to increase the commercial taxes revenue for the Telangana government. It is seeking an online ticket booking system for all theatres in Telangana and has proposed that the commercial taxes department keep track of the number of tickets sold. The entertainment tax is paid on the basis of occupancy rate in theatres, and the exhibitors will not be able to resort to any malpractices if an online ticket booking system is introduced. It is an open secret that some theatre managements themselves indulge in black-marketing of tickets. The online booking would prevent such malpractices.
The online ticket booking facility that is now available in the city is an arrangement only between the filmgoer and the theatre. TSFCC wants to connect the system to the commercial taxes department as well.