Hyderabad offers favourable ecosystem for regional, national cinema: Deputy CM Bhatti

Hyderabad: In a significant move to elevate the State’s cinematic profile, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu announced that the Telangana government is working on a comprehensive blueprint to transform Hyderabad into the ‘national hub of the film industry.’

Space for a creative environment

Speaking at a meeting with the jury members of the Gaddar Film Awards at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, the Deputy CM highlighted that while traditional film centres like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata face space constraints, Hyderabad offers unparalleled infrastructure and a favourable environment for regional and national film industries to flourish.

“If film industries of all languages move to Hyderabad, it will generate massive employment for our youth, from technicians and writers to directors. Hyderabad is destined to emerge as a global centre for the film market,” Mallu stated.

The Gaddar Film Awards

The meeting marked a pivotal step in the initiative to revive state-sponsored film honours, which had been neglected for nearly a decade. The screening of nominated films is scheduled to begin on February 6, culminating in a grand awards ceremony on March 19, coinciding with the Ugadi festival.

The Deputy CM emphasised that the selection process would be rooted strictly in talent and transparency. He urged the jury to prioritise films that balance commercial appeal with ‘strong social messages,’ reflecting the spirit of meaningful cinema.

The renaming of the awards

The Gaddar Film Awards (officially the Telangana Gaddar Film Awards) were instituted in 2024 to replace the erstwhile Nandi Awards, which had not been presented since the State’s formation in 2014.

The Congress government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy renamed the State awards after Gaddar to achieve several objectives:

1. Honouring Native Identity: By naming the highest state film honour after a local icon, the government aims to celebrate Telangana’s unique language, dialect and folk heritage.

2. Filling a Decade-Long Gap: The State had no official awards since 2014. The new system even retrospectively acknowledges the best films from 2014 to 2023 to ensure a decade of talent is finally recognised.

3. Promoting Social Change: Gaddar’s life was dedicated to social justice. By associating his name with cinema, the government encourages filmmakers to produce content that addresses societal issues rather than purely commercial interests.

The upcoming ceremony on Ugadi is expected to be a massive cultural celebration, featuring prominent industry figures including FDC Chairman Dil Raju and veteran actors like Tanikella Bharani and Roja Ramani.