With nepotism becoming the buzzword once again in several film industries following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the Telugu film industry, which is spread across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, is now offering an exclusive platform for ‘outsiders’.
This ‘talent hunt’ is an initiative by the Telugu Film Producers Council (TFPC), and all the interested candidates can fill in a Google form with the required details. These forms will be sent to producers across Tollywood, say members from the TFPC.
Register here for TFPC Talent Hunt for Outsiders to join Telugu Film Industry : https://t.co/KJrICCmYXh#MohanVadlapatla and #PrasannaKumar, Secretaries of Telugu Film Producers Council took an initiative and did a press release on new talent hunt for outsiders...
— Telugu Film Producers Council (@tfpcin) July 5, 2020
Speaking to TNM, Prasanna Kumar, Secretary of the TFPC, says, “We took this step to bridge the gap between candidates who are looking for opportunities, and the producers and directors who need talent for their movie projects. We aim to eliminate mediators and the commission system with this platform."
To be part of any association in Tollywood, be it the Movie Artists Association, Fighters Association or Dubbing Artists Association, one needs to shell out anywhere between Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,00,000. According to industry insiders, it's the association members who let the artists know about opportunities.
However, there are several talented artists who might not have the money to become a member of such associations. There are also allegations about workplace sexual harassment taking place during auditions.
Prasanna Kumar says that through this platform, such incidents can be avoided and that they will try to keep the process as transparent as possible.
He further adds, “All the entries will be made available to the producers and directors in the industry, along with the sample work of the candidate. Based on their requirements, they can choose the candidate. This will be informed to the concerned artist in an official communication.”
Payments are also usually processed through middlemen or agents who take their own cut. Now, however, Prasanna Kumar says, the payment will be made directly by the producer.
The talent hunt registration website is not limited to actors, and anyone who is interested to do any work related to movies can enroll on the website. This includes editing, camera work, direction, writing, anchoring, cinematography and others.
Here is the Google form through which interested candidates can apply for opportunities.