The 18-day strike by the Telugu Film Industry Employees’ Federation came to an end on Thursday after the intervention of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Following negotiations mediated by the government, producers and the federation reached an agreement, paving the way for film shootings to resume from Monday.
As part of the settlement, cine workers will receive a 22.5% wage increase to be implemented in three phases, 15% in the first year, 2.5% in the second year and 5% in the third year. Several additional demands have also been accepted, while remaining issues will be examined by a committee led by the Principal Secretary, which is expected to submit its report within a month.
Producer Dil Raju welcomed the outcome, saying in a press meet, “I thank the Hon’ble Chief Minister for acting swiftly to resolve the issue. I also thank the Producers’ Council and the Employees’ Federation for their understanding, and appreciate Gangadhar and the labour officials for ensuring the talks concluded successfully. The CM has a vision to transform Hyderabad into a major film hub.”
Chiranjeevi also expressed gratitude to the government. In a statement, he said, “I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Telangana, Sri Revanth Reddy, for resolving a highly complex industry issue in a very harmonious manner, ensuring justice for both producers and workers.”
Employees’ Federation President Anil Vallabhaneni credited the government and labour department for playing a decisive role. “While we usually resolve such issues internally, this time the government’s intervention proved crucial,” he said.
With the strike lifted, several pending productions are expected to return to sets immediately. Ravi Teja’s Mass Jathara, Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, Allu Arjun’s film with director Atlee, Prashanth Neel’s project with NTR, and patchwork on Akhanda 2 are among the shoots scheduled to restart.
The resolution marks relief for producers and workers alike, bringing an end to nearly three weeks of stalled activity in Telugu cinema.
