Allu Aravind distances himself from theatre controversy, supports Pawan Kalyan

Veteran producer Allu Aravind held a press meet on Sunday to publicly clarify his stance on the ongoing theatre-related controversy in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

Responding to allegations that he is part of a group of four individuals, informally dubbed “Aa Naluguru”, accused of lobbying and influencing theatre decisions, Aravind strongly stated, “I am not part of those four. Our company does not own a single theatre in Telangana except AAA. Even in Andhra Pradesh, our lease agreements have ended. Out of the 1500 theatres in both the states, we now operate only about 15 theatres, which are also going to be handed over to someone else soon.”

Dismissing claims of monopolistic control, Aravind added, “I don’t agree with closing theatres; that’s why I didn’t attend the meeting. How can you close theatres just before Pawan Kalyan’s film is releasing? That’s a wild misadventure. He’s the one who supported our industry during tough times.” He also clarified that Geetha Arts, his production house, is focused on filmmaking and not theatrical business.

He further addressed rumours of ownership in digital cinema platforms, saying, “I have no stake in Qube India, and Suresh Babu doesn’t own UFO either.” Aravind also criticised the recent exhibitors’ meeting, noting that many important industry issues were overlooked.

The controversy stems from an attempted theatre shutdown planned from June 1, initiated by exhibitors seeking a shift from rental agreements to a revenue-sharing model. The move, which threatened the release of Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu coming out on June 12, drew strong criticism from the actor-politician and his fans, who accused industry stakeholders of failing to acknowledge the government’s support since the NDA came to power. The Deputy Chief Minister of AP released a press note officially from the office.

With Aravind’s public statement, several key industry voices are now urging calm and dialogue to resolve tensions ahead of major June releases.