Megastar Chiranjeevi has stepped in to mediate the ongoing dispute between Telugu film producers and the Telugu Film Employees Federation, which has brought film production to a standstill. The strike, now in its second week, was initiated by the federation demanding a 30% wage hike.
Chiranjeevi is taking a cautious approach, aiming to be a neutral party. Sources indicate he is holding separate discussions with producers and union leaders to find a workable solution. The actor has even paused the shooting of his upcoming film to focus on resolving the industry-wide crisis.
However, Chiranjeevi has had to publicly clarify his position after some federation members made "baseless" claims that he had assured them their demands would be met.
In a post on X, he wrote, "I have not met anyone from the federation. This is an industry issue and no individual, including me, can give any unilateral assurances to solve any problem one way or the other." He stressed that the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce is the "apex body" responsible for collective negotiations.
It has come to my attention that some individuals claiming to be the members of the Film Federation have gone to media falsely claiming that I have met them and given an assurance that their demands regarding 30% wage hike etc., shall be met and that I will be starting shooting…
— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) August 9, 2025
A delegation of producers, including C. Kalyan, Allu Aravind, and Suresh Babu, met Chiranjeevi at his residence to seek his intervention. Producer C. Kalyan stated, "We met Chiranjeevi garu and explained the issue. He felt that abruptly halting shootings was inappropriate. He patiently listened to our concerns and assured us that he would also hear the workers' version of the issue."
Kalyan said wages in Hyderabad are already higher than in other neighbouring industries and said hiking wages further would make it unsustainable for most smaller producers.
The producers argue that a 30% wage hike is unsustainable, particularly for small-budget films, and that the strike is an act of "blackmail" as wage agreements are typically renewed every three years. The Film Chamber has also authorized producers to hire non-union workers, escalating the conflict.
The Telugu Film Industry Employees' Federation (TFIEF) leaders have stated they are open to compromise, explaining that their demand for a 30% hike was meant to be implemented over three years, with a 10% increase per year, including a 20% raise now and the remaining 10% later. They have also expressed frustration with the producers, who they say have laid down conditions that are unacceptable to the workers.
Director Veera Shankar, a member of the Federation's Coordination Committee, expressed hope in Chiranjeevi's involvement, saying, "Federation members haven't yet received a call from Chiranjeevi garu, but we are hopeful. Thousands of workers are struggling as their daily earnings are at stake, and we believe he can help find an amicable solution."
