Enter NTR, Balakrishna roars!

By K.V.S. Madhav

HYDERABAD, MAY 25. This was nothing short of a generational turf war. One that came with all the trappings of a Telugu potboiler - vertical divides and conflict of opinion simmering and spilling onto the roads.

Locking horns was matinee idol, Nandamuri Balakrishna, flush with the stupendous success of his latest movie, `Narasimha Naidu,' with his elder brother Harikrishna's son, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao - he is incidentally named after his illustrious grandfather - making a foray into the family business...films. And the bone of contention? A much sought after theatre in the busy RTC crossroads, the favourite of Telugu filmgoers in the city.

While Balakrishna's runaway hit, `Narasimha Naidu,' was apparently "still going strong", as his fans put it, at the city's premier theatre and a dozen others all over the State, the theatre management chose to replace it with his nephew, NTR's launch vehicle made by the media baron, Mr. Ramoji Rao, `Ninnu Choodalani'.

Irked by the sudden move, Balakrishna himself is believed to have swung into action tapping all sources, including the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu. The film was inching ahead towards a silver jubilee - it was six weeks short of that grand 25-week run which has become a rarity in Telugu film world of late - and his fans association was bent upon making the film complete the marathon.

However, the film's distributor, Mahalaxmi Films, had washed its hands off the movie after it completed 100 days. "The collections had apparently dropped considerably. But, Balakrishna's Fans Association was in no mood to relent. They even offered to bear all the losses," sources say.

As the show time neared on Friday morning, tension mounted with the fans in a frenzy and the situation still unclear. The Police Commissioner, Mr. P. Ramulu, instructed the DCP (North), Mr. M. Punna Rao, to ensure that there was no trouble at the office of Mayuri Films, distributors of `Ninnu Chodalani', at Begumpet. The Chikkadpally Inspector, Mr. Rizwan Baig, was ordered to "to keep a close watch" on Devi theatre. There were clear instructions to pick up anyone trying to create trouble near the theatre.

It is an open secret that the main theatre assumes utmost importance in the filmgoers' itinerary. This is the plume on the matinee idol's crown. A matter of pride for both the hero as well as his fans. In a land where hero worship assumes divine proportions, it is the main theatre that witnesses elaborate rituals -- be it the first show or the 100th day celebrations. It is the apostle of all theatres. No wonder, the mad race!

Mr. G. Sudhakar, General Manager, Mayuri Films, chose to be tightlipped. "We decided to withdraw the movie from the theatre owing to unavoidable circumstances," he said, refusing to elaborate further. The film was released allover the State on Friday, including the city, barring Devi theatre. "We will release the film in some other theatres on Saturday," he said.

Mr. Sudhakar insisted that the theatre management had confirmed the availability of its playhouse after Mahalaxmi Films "had terminated its agreement on the Balakrishna-starrer". But, in an industry known for its intricacies, there is always more to it than what meets the eye.

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