In early 2024, Telangana state awards for film personalities and best Telugu movies started to be called Gaddar Awards. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, months after the announcement, stated that there had been no attempt by the Telugu film industry to reach out to the administration to take the issue forward. "The government is ready to give awards starting this December annually. I urge the film industry representatives to come up with their proposals. The first step has already been taken by the government. Gaddar Awards will be as prestigious as Nandi Awards," Revanth Reddy said in June 2024.
Finally, the Awards are happening. Come Ugadi, they will make their debut at a grand event. This is going to be the first edition of Telangana state awards.
The question is, can the awards steer clear of political controversies? In the contemporary political scenario, nothing can escape excessive politicization and media-driven sensationalism. There is a chance that some films like Pushpa and actors like Allu Arjun could face an unofficial boycott despite their immense talent. The Gaddar Awards jury, one hopes, makes unbiased decisions that don't fuel allegations of favouritism, regionalism and whatnot. National Awards under the Modi regime have been given to Bollywood talents who had made statements against the BJP. Such an attitude is correct.
