Vishnu Manchu, who is running for the post of MAA President this year, has said that he and his family are ready to fund the planned new MAA building in toto. He also said that he will opt out of the race if the elders like Chiranjeevi and Krishna elect a person unanimously.
The actor also made various other comments in his latest statement.
"Earlier, all major south film industries had a common association named the Nadigar Sangham. The Telugu film industry elders came together to form a separate union named Telugu Cine Artists Association later. In 1993, by when the Telugu film industry had moved to Hyderabad, the likes of ANR garu, Prabhakar Reddy garu, my father, Chiranjeevi garu and others came together and established the MAA. Whether or not he was leading the MAA, my father has always continued to work for the cine family.
In 1997, when a political heavyweight tried to lay his hands on parcels of land given by the state government to the industry in 1990, my father stood by cine workers and fought to save the land. He went to meet the then Governor and submitted a petition. The parcels are now what we call the Chitrapuri Colony.
Even to this day, I and my other family members are working for the cine family. We have even gone to the police stations to fight for grabbed lands to help out the cine family. In 2015, when Dasarai garu, Murali Mohan garu and others felt that I should run for the MAA President's post, it was my father who told them that the position was too big for a person of my age.
The MAA has been served well by the Presidents so far. Besides my father, Murali Mohan garu, Naga Babu garu, Rajendra Prasad garu and Sivaji garu have worked hard. The current President, Naresh garu, has helped the cine workers affected due to the pandemic. He has even spent his own money for their welfare. The MAA has seen small problems. But they were not intentional. Sunil once told me that Mohan Babu garu is seen as the one person who is always there to help the needy in the film industry.
When ANR garu was alive, I told in the General Body meeting of the MAA that I and my family will donate 25% of the funds needed to build a new MAA building. The building has been planned for 12 years. It has been a major agenda every time MAA elections happen. I and my family are ready to fund the construction of the building in toto. We will give each and every penny needed for it.
The building is a done deal. Coming to the real issues faced by the MAA, our film industry is heading towards a golden phase. From OTTs to big movies and YouTube channels, everything is promising. But artists are facing real issues. If you have to work in the industry, you have to be a member of some or the other 24 crafts' unions. But MAA is an exception. Even non-members are getting work. Whereas many members of MAA are not getting adequate work.
I am not saying that new talents shouldn't be encouraged. But they should be asked to become MAA members first. We should work in a cooperative way with the producers.
MAA is a family of 900 members. If the likes of Krishna garu, Krishnam Raju garu, Balakrishna garu, Chiranjeevi garu, Nagarjuna garu, Venkatesh garu, Rajasekhar garu, Rajendra Prasad garu, Brahmanandam garu and others unanimously elect a MAA President, I will opt out of the race. Otherwise, I will contest.
