Small film, 40 press meets, 60 theatres
Director Shiraz Mehdi has alleged unfair screen allocation for O Andala Rakshasi. The evidence currently establishes a public dispute, not an industry-wide finding.
The film’s publicity campaign appears to have outgrown its reported theatrical release.
A small Telugu film has apparently needed a larger publicity campaign than its release: director Shiraz Mehdi says he held more than 40 press conferences and gave more than 50 interviews over the theatre allocation for O Andala Rakshasi.
At a September 28 media conference at Prasad Labs in Hyderabad, Mehdi alleged that small films were being denied adequate theatrical releases and appealed to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to intervene. R.V. Reddy, identified as a producer and High Court advocate, alleged that industry representatives promised 200 theatres after taking money, but the film released in 60, causing an alleged loss of ₹10 crore. He also claimed that “80%” of the industry was controlled by a mafia. No methodology was provided for that figure.
Earlier reports said Mehdi had issued legal notices naming producers, Telugu Film Chamber representatives, PVR INOX and Asian Cinemas representatives. Those reports also carried his allegations about limited Hyderabad shows and a proposed re-release. The named parties, along with Qube and UFO, have not publicly responded in the material reviewed. No booking records, agreements, payment documents, court filing or loss calculation has been published. The dispute is documented. The alleged industry-wide system is not.