Mon Dec 23 15:56:42 UTC 2024: ## TDP MLA Condemns Modern “Benefit Shows” in Telugu Film Industry
**Visakhapatnam, December 23, 2024** – Andhra Pradesh TDP MLA Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy has criticized the current practice of “benefit shows” in the Telugu film industry, arguing they are primarily a profit-making scheme for producers rather than serving a social purpose. His comments, made at a media interaction following a Rozgar Mela event attended by his son-in-law, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, come in the wake of a recent tragedy at a Hyderabad cinema.
Murthy, recalling benefit shows from his youth which raised funds for charity, contrasted them with the modern practice. He stated that he intends to raise the issue with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
The Telugu Film Directors Association president, Veera Shankar, echoed concerns, suggesting a renaming of these shows as their original social purpose has been lost. The debate comes as several major Telugu films are slated for release during the upcoming Sankranti festival, a period typically associated with a surge in benefit shows. Upcoming releases include Ram Charan’s *Game Changer*, Balakrishna’s *Daaku Maharaaj*, and Venkatesh’s *Sankrantiki Vastunnam*.
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