When the new Andhra Pradesh government came to power in 2024, it was widely reported in political and film circles that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wanted Nandamuri Balakrishna to stay away from direct involvement in film industry affairs, leaving that responsibility largely to Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.
As part of that arrangement, Jana Sena leader Kandula Durgesh was appointed Cinematography Minister.
From ticket price issues to other film industry concerns, most matters were reportedly routed through Pawan Kalyan in the early days of the government.
However, the newly constituted executive board of the Andhra Pradesh Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation is now triggering fresh political chatter.
Producer and TDP leader Bharath Bhushan has been appointed chairman of the corporation. The newly sworn-in executive board also includes actor Suman, actress Jhansi, director Meher Ramesh, writer Burra Sai Madhav, and producer Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao.
Interestingly, several board members reportedly acknowledged both Balakrishna and Pawan Kalyan during their speeches. But industry circles are particularly focusing on Balakrishna’s perceived influence in the appointments.
Bharath Bhushan, Burra Sai Madhav and Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao are all considered close to Balakrishna.
Meher Ramesh, meanwhile, is believed to have entered the board with Pawan Kalyan’s backing, given their family connection. Jhansi stands out as a relatively neutral choice with no visible political affiliation.
With several names linked closely to Balakrishna finding a place on the new board, the talk now is that the actor-politician may be quietly regaining influence over Andhra Pradesh’s film administration setup.
