Chiranjeevi Denies Meeting Federation Amid Telugu Film Industry Wage Dispute and Legal Battle

The Telugu film industry’s ongoing standoff between producers and the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation has intensified, moving from negotiations to the courtroom.

Producer T G Vishwa Prasad has filed court notices against the Federation’s president, general secretary, and treasurer, alleging a daily loss of ₹1.5 crore after his film productions were halted due to the strike.

Federation general secretary Ammiraju confirmed the notices, stating, “Our legal team will address this. This is the first time we have been served such notices. Our talks with producers on wage demands were already in progress, but individuals are being targeted instead of the Federation.”

Former general secretary Rajeshwar Reddy clarified that the legal move came from an individual and not the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce. “This won’t weaken our resolve. We have given a strike notice to the Chamber. While some issues are resolved, our main demand—a 30% wage hike for skilled and unskilled workers—remains pending,” he said.

Meanwhile, megastar Chiranjeevi issued a statement refuting claims that he had met Federation members or agreed to their demands.

“I have not met anyone from the Federation. This is an industry-wide issue, and no individual, including myself, can decide alone. The Film Chamber must collectively negotiate a fair resolution. I strongly condemn false statements aimed at creating confusion,” he asserted.

Earlier, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce issued strict instructions to producers, studios, and allied sectors not to negotiate with striking unions without its consent. The Chamber also directed studios and service providers to withhold support to striking groups, warning against actions that could weaken the industry’s collective stance.