Anti-Piracy Police Squads For Tollywood

The Telugu film fraternity is elated as the Andhra Pradesh government is circulating the draft of anti-piracy bill among its legislators. With the government incorporating most of the stringent measures insisted by the Tolly folks, the industry is expected to save 100 crores on big-ticket films like “Komarama Puli”, “Robo”, “Khaleja” and “Brindavanam” this year. “The industry will be able to save 10 to 15 crore on big-ticket films.

Exhibitors and distributors will be pocketing the sum, instead of pirates,” says director Meher Ramesh, adding, “If our law is as stringent as that of our neighbouring states, then Tollywood will deliver more hits.” Meher’s“Billa”was shot with lowkey lighting and wide angle shots to avoid piracy. “But it still affected the film,” he rues.

Producer Aditya Ram too is positive. “Now, we’ll have more time to work on our scripts instead of worrying about piracy,” says Ram. According the draft bill — an SI can book a case instead of a DSP. Pirates will get five years of imprisonment without bail and cops can open rowdy sheets against pirates. “Only stringent laws can curtail this menace.

We also urged the government to establish anti-piracy police squads district-wise. We’ll exert pressure on the government to pass the bill at the earliest,” says Vijayendar Reddy, office-bearer of Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce. Producer C. Kalyan, president of South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce feels that strict laws will “keep away the unemployed youth from this business, ” he says.