Supriya Yarlagadda’s appointment as one of the 18 members of the newly reconstituted Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has come as a surprise to many in the Telugu film industry.
The Centre announced the new board on September 16, with Supriya being the only personality from the Telugu film industry on the panel.
Supriya is an accomplished producer and has been actively involved in matters concerning the Telugu film industry. However, her appointment has also triggered discussions about how she was selected for the prestigious government position.
The new CBFC board includes several prominent film personalities, including Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Roopali Ganguly, Priyadarshan and Ricky Kej. Hans Raj Hans, who is also on the board, is a BJP politician and former Member of Parliament.
Against this backdrop, some in the industry are wondering what led to Supriya’s inclusion. She has largely stayed away from active politics and has not been publicly identified with any political party.
Nagarjuna, too, has generally maintained a low political profile, although he has had cordial relations with political leaders across parties, including Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Interestingly, speculation about the Nagarjuna family’s proximity to the BJP has been doing the rounds since the demolition of the N-Convention Centre by HYDRAA in 2024.
The action took place under the Telangana government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, with authorities citing alleged encroachment into the Full Tank Level and buffer zone of Thammidi Kunta Lake.
Some are now speculating that Nagarjuna may have subsequently developed closer ties with the BJP’s central leadership. However, there is no official indication that Supriya’s CBFC appointment was made because of any such political connection.
For now, Supriya’s appointment is officially just that; an appointment to the 18-member CBFC board for a three-year term. The government notification does not provide individual reasons for the selection of its members.