Tollywood Producers Dance to Choreographers’ Tune, Allege Creative Curbs
The Telugu film industry’s long-simmering tensions with the Telugu Film & TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association have resurfaced as producers claim restrictive union policies deprive talented dancers of opportunities, limit directors’ creative freedom and significantly increase production costs. The controversy gained momentum following a recent public spat between choreographers Jani Master and Sekhar Master, which exposed internal differences within the dancers’ fraternity.
Filmmakers often have to compromise their creative vision because of union regulations, says one producer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“If I am making a film featuring college students, I have to hire 30-year-old dancers from the union due to restrictions imposed by the Telugu Film and TV Dancers Association. Such restrictions affect a director’s creativity. Federations should encourage creative freedom, not restrict it,” he says.
He adds that despite the Competition Commission of India’s directive giving producers the freedom to hire skilled workers of their choice, filmmakers continue to face practical hurdles on the ground.
The producer also criticizes the “sharing clause” in the agreement with the dancers’ association, under which the producers were allegedly required to hire an equal number of local dancers and dancers from Mumbai or Chennai.
“The association has repeatedly promised to remove this clause, but this has not happened. This only increases our production costs,” he says.
It also alleges that manufacturers are often pressured to employ only union members.
“There are threats that film shooting will be stopped if the producers do not hire dancers from the union. This amounts to blackmail,” he claims.
Telugu Film Producers Council secretary T. Prasanna Kumar echoes these concerns, saying the current system unnecessarily inflates budgets.
“If we hire dancers from Hyderabad, we will need a coordinator. If we hire dancers from Chennai, we will have to appoint another coordinator for the same job. This will be an unnecessary financial burden,” he says.
Prasanna Kumar urges the dancers union to reconsider their policies.
“The union should stop demanding higher wages at the last minute, taking advantage of the producer’s fear that shooting may be interrupted. Producers should also be allowed to hire local dancers when shooting in locations like Bangkok or Europe, instead of having to use only union card holders,” he says.
He also points out that using the same pool of dancers over and over again affects the visual freshness of film songs.
“Producers are deprived of creative choice because they are forced to use the same dancers over and over again. We have called on the federation to take action against corrupt members,” he adds.
Producer SK Nayeem Muddin alleges that the dancers’ union has collected excessive amounts of money from producers over the years.
“Hyderabad dancers earn higher salaries than dancers in Mumbai and Chennai. The union should refund the excess money collected from producers for double coordinators and other fees to help reduce production costs,” he says.
It also expresses concern about the plight of aspiring dancers.
“There are hundreds of talented young dancers in the market, but they reportedly need to get a union card worth around Rs 6 lakh to get employment. As a result, many truly talented dancers are left out of opportunities,” he claims.
The broader controversy coincided with recent internal unrest in the Telugu Film and TV Dancers Association. Videos of Jani Master and Sekhar Master engaging in a heated argument at the society’s office went viral on social media, fueling speculations that the dispute had escalated.
The controversy reportedly started after a group of dancers objected to the decisions taken by Sumalatha, president of the Telugu Film and TV Dancers Association and Jani Master’s wife. Opposition members alleged that he had announced by-elections without consulting the executive committee or getting approval from the Telugu State Film Employees Federation. As tensions increased, around ten officials reportedly resigned, questioning the legality of the proposed elections.
Meanwhile, choreographer Basheer claimed on social media that his decision to give choreographer card to Sandeep Master triggered the current controversy.
“Very few people know this. Since Sandeep Master was given the dance master card, now allegations are being made against Jani Master and his wife Sumalatha,” Basheer said.
He argued that the industry should encourage more choreographers rather than concentrating opportunities among a few individuals.
“We need more dance masters and everyone should be allowed to practice. Why should only Jani Master, Sekhar Master and Ganesh Master continue to rule? More choreographer cards should be given so that talented people can also earn a living.”
