Hyderabad: Telugu film fraternity has shown their disappointment over Tollywood casting film actors from other regions while local artists despite being talented go jobless. Director Karuna Kumar, who’s recently released film Sridevi Soda Center is receiving rave reviews from the critics, is determined in casting and encourage only Telugu actors in his films.
Well, the southern film industry especially, Tollywood has been experiencing the presence of non-Telugu-speaking artists in Telugu films for the past few years where except the protagonists, almost all the supporting actors to antagonists are non-Telugu-speaking actors.
Veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao has been the one who has expressed his concern over local talents not being featured in Telugu movies. However, director-actor Karuna Kumar is the second crusader who came out saying that he will only cast Telugu actors in his films for the sake of local talents.
The Hyderabad-born filmmaker, who had given two films, Palasa 1978 and Sridevi Soda Center, had cast Telugu actresses Nakshatra and Anandhi respectively. As they say, someone has to take the call, Karuna Kumar showed his serious concern for Telugu artists and made a bold statement that he will continue this trend and he will only cast Telugu-speaking actors no matter what.
But, contrary to his statement, reports suggest that his villain in Sridevi Soda Center is a non-Telugu-speaking artist but Kumar has a reason for it. Apparently, he had to cast a non-Telugu-speaking actor as the original cast for the villain tested positive for Covid-19 and the director was left with no other option.
Meanwhile, this consideration of Karuna Kumar will encourage local talents and in the meantime, other filmmakers may also join Kumar’s league.