Tollywood On Strike! SSMB 29, Ustaad Bhagat Singh, And Other Telugu Films To Suffer Big Blow From Producers-Federation Standoff?

Tollywood Strike: The Telugu Film Industry Employees’ Federation (FIEF) has announced an indefinite strike starting August 4, over a wage hike. The strike is said to affect 10,000 cine-workers who have vowed not to return to film sets until their demands are met. This inadvertently puts the risk of delay on films that are in production. None of the producers of ongoing projects has reacted to the impact of the strike; movies like SSMB29, which are currently in production, are likely to be affected by the standoff. The Federation is in talks with the Film Chamber of Commerce and Producers' Council for a quick solution, as the strike has caused all movie and web series shooting to come to a halt.

Which films are likely to be affected by the Telugu Film Federation strike?

There is no official confirmation about which films are currently under production or have shooting scheduled that could be impacted by the ongoing strike. Hasya Movies, the production house of Allari Naresh's upcoming film, had announced the muhurat shoot of the film in Hyderabad today, August 4. Taking to their X account, the production house has confirmed that the film will not go on floors today.

Additionally, one of the most anticipated movies of Tollywood, SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu's SSMB29, is also said to be in production. While the timeline of the film's shoot remains unknown, the leading lady, Priyanka Chopra, landed in Hyderabad this morning, seemingly for the shoot of SSMB29. The ongoing strike might pose a challenge to the shoot of the film, if scheduled.

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Another Telugu movie that is known to be in production is Pawan Kalyan's Ustaad Bhagat Singh. The actor-turned-politician recently wrapped up the climax shoot of the movie. While the shooting for the lead star is said to be wrapped, some regional publications have reported that a few parts of the movie are yet to be shot. While others report suggest that the movie is in post-production stages, the ongoing strike might impact the production of Ustaad Bhagat Singh.

Also Read: Priyanka Checks In Hyderabad With Daughter To Resume Shooting Of SSMB29

The strike is said to be most problematic for small to medium budget productions, which might suffer major delays due to re-budgeting if the federation workers' demands are fulfilled.

Why are the Telugu film industry workers on strike? 

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The strike is over a wage hike for the cinema workers. The Telugu Film Employees Federation, which represents 24 categories of film workers, is seeking a 30% increase in wages for the union. They argue that wages have been stagnant for the last three years, despite the rising cost of living in Hyderabad. The film body also demands a daily disbursal of payment to avoid delay in wages and settlement.