The recent face-off between Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and actor Allu Arjun over the stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 5 has begun to show signs of de-escalation, with conciliatory statements and compensation for the victim’s family.

The outpour of sympathy and support for the family of the 39-year-old mother who tragically died, and her nine-year-old son who survived life-threatening injuries, is heartening. One can only hope that as a society, we take collective responsibility to prevent such stampedes—particularly those caused by the frenzy surrounding film stars and movie releases.

That said, the Arjun vs. Reddy battle mirrors a familiar narrative in southern Indian politics: the clash between a star and a powerful politician. This story has played out numerous times, both in the political arena and in film scripts. In real-world politics, history shows that it is generally unwise for politicians to antagonise stars, especially those at the peak of their popularity.  

MGR vs Karunanidhi

The first notable example from Tamil Nadu where a politician who took on a star lost the battle is the defining story of Dravidian politics. The late Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, M. Karunanidhi, antagonised the enormously popular M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), an actor who had a massive following.

MGR worked closely with Karunanidhi in films and was part of the DMK, which was founded by former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, or ‘Anna’. When Anna passed away while in office in 1969, Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister and president of the DMK. A rift with MGR followed, leading to a split in the party. MGR went on to form his own party, the All India Anna DMK (AIADMK), and not only defeated Karunanidhi’s DMK but also kept him out of power until his death in 1987.

While there were many other factors at play, including the declaration of emergency, it was fundamentally the narrative of MGR’s persecution that fuelled the rise of the AIADMK. This emotional connection helped keep Karunanidhi and his DMK out of power in successive elections, till MGR was alive. 

Rajnikanth vs. Jayalalithaa, 1996

In 1996, the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa—MGR’s successor and a popular actor who took over the AIADMK—had a face-off with superstar Rajnikanth. The friction between the two leaders, who were neighbours in Chennai’s posh Poes Garden area, escalated when Rajnikanth publicly declared that “even God could not save the state if Jayalalithaa came back to power”.

In the 1996 elections, the AIADMK was decisively routed, with even Jayalalithaa losing her seat. There were multiple reasons for this defeat and Rajnikanth’s statement contributed to the atmosphere, but the episode serves as a reminder that a public confrontation with a powerful star is rarely advantageous for a politician in Dravidian politics.

Although Rajnikanth never formally entered politics, he made a film in 1998, Padayappa, where the antagonist was a woman—interpreted by many as a veiled reference to the ousted Jayalalithaa. In the years that followed, there was a reconciliation between the two, with Rajnikanth remaining officially apolitical, though he sporadically made statements in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) until Jayalalithaa’s death.

NTR In Telugu politics, Rajkumar In Karnataka

In the world of Telugu politics, it was the most popular star of the time, NT Rama Rao (NTR), who toppled the Congress in 1983. While there was no narrative of the “persecution of the star” in the assembly battle back then, NTR capitalised on a narrative of the Congress hurting Telugu pride. This political victory still contributes to the stereotype of star power in Southern politics.

Generally, political leaders in Telugu, Tamil and even Kannada politics have treaded carefully when dealing with stars. For example, in Karnataka, Kannada superstar Rajkumar, who stayed away from politics throughout his life, played a significant role in the Gokak agitation for the Kannada language in the early 1980s. This movement contributed to the defeat of the then Congress Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao and the Janata Party’s victory in the 1983 state elections.

While not all stars have been successful in politics, there are enough historical lessons for southern politicians to avoid friction with a star—especially one at the height of his popularity.

What Reddy Can Learn From Stalin

Currently, Tamil Nadu is witnessing the rise of actor Vijay with his political party. Although Vijay has been critical of the ruling DMK, Chief Minister Stalin has refrained from engaging in a war of words. Stalin has even instructed his party, including his son and Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi, to avoid getting involved in a public dispute.

Having been a witness to the history of Dravidian politics as the late Karunanidhi’s aide, Stalin understands that politically attacking a star only boosts his or her mass appeal and influence.  

While the Arjun Vs Reddy controversy isn’t electoral in nature—at least not yet—it remains unclear how such a public confrontation erupted in Hyderabad, given the deeply intertwined world of politics and cinema. With close connections, including family linkages, it’s hard to believe this was purely about the stampede. Whatever the reasons, history is a reminder for Revanth Reddy to avoid star-studded confrontations in the future. 

(TM Veeraraghav is Executive Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Chennai:

The Madras High Court has declined to grant an interim order to restrain individuals or social media channels from reviewing films within three days of their theatrical release.

Justice S. Sounthar, while hearing the petition filed by the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA), questioned the feasibility of such a restriction, stating, “Reviewers are entitled to review any film; it is their opinion.”

Advocate Vijayan Subramanian, representing TFAPA, argued that certain individuals, under the guise of film reviews, defame directors, actors, and producers, causing damage to their reputations.

The association sought restrictions on these activities and requested the court to issue directions to the City Police Commissioner to prevent YouTube channels from entering cinema theatres for the purpose of film reviews.

The petition highlighted the lack of regulation and self-discipline on social media platforms, leading to defamatory remarks and coordinated efforts to manipulate film ratings, a practice known as “review bombing.”

TFAPA claimed these actions, often motivated by personal or business rivalries, negatively influence public opinion and harm box-office collections before the audience forms its own judgment.

The judge refused to issue a blanket order or directions in this regard, emphasising the importance of freedom of expression.

Notices were issued to the Union and state governments, as well as YouTube, for their response.

The case has been posted for further proceedings after four weeks.

The petition follows growing concerns among Tamil filmmakers about the impact of early reviews on their films’ commercial performance.

Recently, films like ‘Kanguva’, ‘Indian 2’, and ‘Vettaiyan’ were reportedly affected by negative reviews and fan interviews on YouTube channels.

TFAPA and the Tamil Nadu Producers Council have called for guidelines to regulate online film reviews and urged theatre owners to ban YouTubers from conducting interviews on their premises.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Last month saw the release of Kalki 2898AD, and as of July 4, the Prabhas starrer has grossed more than Rs 700 crore at the box office. The success of this Tollywood film has naturally sparked comparisons with the Hindi film industry, with its recent flops coming into sharp relief. The recent Bade Miyan Chote Miyan fiasco only highlighted those concerns. Its box-office failure was followed by allegations from crew members that Pooja Entertainment, the production house backing the film, was yet to pay them their dues. In fact, actor Akshay Kumar reportedly had to step in and ask the company to clear the dues before paying him. 

The churn Bollywood is going through has stirred up a hornet’s nest, with many feeling that there is a serious need for course correction. There is widespread chatter about exorbitant star fees and their entourage costs, and writers, DOPs and other crew members have started speaking up about the extreme disparity in pay structures in the Hindi film industry.

Every Friday counts

While Bollywood stars have for years now been able to charge exorbitant fees, the Covid-19 pandemic set in motion a lot of changes. The Hindi film industry went through deep turmoil, and some say it has still not been able to regain its footing. Only Shah Rukh Khan has managed to deliver blockbusters in the last two years. A slew of big-star Hindi films, like Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Laal Singh Chaddha, Ram Setu, Cirkus, Adipurush, Selfiee, Maidaan and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, have all flopped at the box office, causing great worry to producers and actors alike.

Back in 2022, ace director S.S. Rajamouli had pointed out that the downfall of Hindi cinema in that year – considered one of the worst periods for Bollywood ever – was because of the high fees of actors and directors. “What happened once corporates started coming into the Hindi film industry and paying high fees to actors, directors and companies, was that the need to ‘I have to succeed at any cost’ has come down a little bit; the hunger [to succeed] has come down a little bit. Here, down South, that was not there. You have to swim or you are going to sink.”

A popular filmmaker from the Southern film industry who wished to remain anonymous reflects on the high star fees and entourage costs. “Remember, every Friday counts. If a star becomes too expensive for a producer to manage and they’re already on tenterhooks and the star pushes it – as long as the star is succeeding and selling tickets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they’ll curse under their breath but they’ll keep hiring the star. But the minute the star has two or three flops, they’ll drop him or her like a hot potato and the person becomes invisible. At that point, no one wants to put up with it anymore. Thus, the stars need to strike a balance and know when they’re hiking expenses for a producer beyond limits.”

The Economics Of A Project

However, Pankaj Jaysinh of UFO Moviez India says it’s the producers who have the ultimate say in a project and that stars shouldn’t be blamed for their high fees and costs. “No doubt that big names are expensive, but it’s all economics (demand vs supply). If several movie producers are chasing a star, he or she is going to up their fees, and vice-versa. And it’s not that only movies with stars are hits. There have been content-based movies made in Rs 20-40 crore, like Munjya, Madgaon Express, Teri Baaton Mein Uljha Jiya, which did well. Audiences love good content too and stars don’t matter in this case. There are also experiential films made on Rs 100-300 crore budgets, like Kalki, Fighter and Pathaan. Here, the audience wants to see grandeur and stars. Thus, a producer, depending on his budget, always has the option to go for either of these categories. It’s the producer’s call. I don’t think we can blame stars for their high costs,” he emphasises.

The fact, nonetheless, remains that most Bollywood stars come to sets with their entire entourage (of up to even 20 people at times, including stylists, nutritionists, hairdressers, gym trainers, bouncers, etc), and the producer usually has no issues – sometimes, no choice – in coughing up money. It’s the writers and other crew members who bear the brunt and get short-changed for their work. It’s no secret that screenwriters are some of the most poorly paid members of the Indian film industry. Atika Chohan, who is known for Margarita With a Straw (2014), Chhapaak (2020) and Ulajh (2024), says, “The production budgets leave no room for writers and development, and this is a fact. No one takes risks with new ideas and voices, while everyone bleeds money on actors who bring nothing new to the table but extreme losses. This is one of the biggest contributing factors to the current industry recession and market correction. In Bollywood, actors consider it an insult if they are not pampered like gods. It’s embarrassing.”

A Better Business Model

Perhaps there is another business model that could work. Director Anurag Kashyap recently spoke about how the big Khans of B-Town – Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir – don’t charge fees for their films and thus, their movies are easier to produce. “They take backend profits, so their films are never costly,” Kashyap said. 

The South has lessons too. While Bollywood producers are struggling with star fees, entourage costs and the like, the South film industry has shown remarkable cost-sensitivity. Kannada filmmaker Anup Bhandari, who worked recently with superstar Sudeep in Vikrant Rona, says the actors here are very aware. “In the South, especially the Kannada film industry, the actors are far more conscious about not burdening the producers. Their entourage mostly consists of their staff and a few key people. I have also seen actors asking producers to ensure they stay within the budget and some who have gone out of their way to help producers with costs,” says the RangiTaranga director. True, even South has expensive big names, but film trade analysts say that this is justifiable due to their huge market not just across India but internationally as well. 

Post-COVID-19, many in the Hindi film industry, including producers, studio heads, and top executives, are looking for a market correction, beginning with star fees. The unpredictability of the entertainment business coupled with a changing audience that is flooded with options means that quality and fulfilment of expectations are paramount today. 

The need of the hour is a cost-effective and healthy ecosystem.”Compare the Hindi film industry to the business models in Kerala, where actors produce good cinema. Take, for instance, Mammootty’s Kaathal The Core, and every Fahad Faasil film. They are examples of a healthy film economy and a creative ecosystem.”

As one trade analyst pointed out, Bollywood should perhaps take a leaf out of the South film industry to get back on the road to profitability – not just in terms of content but in terms of production costs as well.

(The author is a senior entertainment journalist and film critic)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author