Choreographer Jani Master has landed in a difficult position after the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation (TFIEF) reportedly issued a non-cooperation call against him and his wife, Sumalatha, president of the Telugu Film & TV Dancers Association, for allegedly making remarks against federation members and violating its norms.
“Jani has earned fame and money, but he is behaving high-handedly,” says Rajeswar Reddy, former general secretary of the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation.
“The federation stood firmly behind dancers when the Telugu film industry shifted from Chennai to Hyderabad. During our tenure, we ensured that more Telugu dancers were employed in song sequences. Even when Tamil choreographers worked on Telugu films with 100 dancers, we ensured that around 70 were local dancers and only 30 came from Chennai. The federation also fought successfully for wage hikes benefiting over 600 dancers. Without the federation’s support, none of this would have been possible.”
He points out that the federation is affiliated with the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) and the All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC).
“In simple terms, if Jani is signed for a film, workers from the federation’s 23 affiliated crafts across South India may refuse to cooperate, making it extremely difficult to complete the project,” he says.
Rajeswar Reddy also criticises what he describes as the growing attitude among some choreographers. “A few choreographers think they are heroes themselves. It is like disowning your parents after becoming successful. Jani is disrespecting the federation, and that is not acceptable,” he adds.
Jani seeks the Chamber’s intervention
Meanwhile, Jani has appealed to the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce to intervene, alleging that a few “tainted members” within the federation are exploiting producers. However, federation leaders maintain that the Chamber has only a limited role if the dispute is between affiliated unions rather than between producers and workers.
The controversy erupted after a confrontation between Jani Master and Sekhar Master at the Telugu Film & TV Dancers Association office. The clash snowballed into a larger dispute, with several members resigning over the conduct of elections reportedly held with federation approval.
Producers renew criticism
The controversy has also revived producers’ long-standing criticism of the Telugu Film & TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association. Several producers allege that its policies deprive talented newcomers of opportunities, restrict directors’ creative freedom, and increase production costs.
A producer, who requested anonymity, says filmmakers are often forced to compromise their creative vision because of union regulations. “If I’m making a film featuring college students, I’m forced to hire 35-year-old dancers from the union because of the restrictions imposed by the association. Such curbs affect a director’s creativity. Federations should encourage creative freedom, not restrict it,” he says.
He adds that although the Competition Commission of India has advised producers to hire skilled workers of their choice, filmmakers continue to face practical hurdles.
Sharing clause under fire
The producer also criticises the “sharing clause” in the agreement with the dancers’ association, under which producers are allegedly required to hire an equal number of local dancers and dancers from Mumbai or Chennai.
“The association has repeatedly promised to remove this clause, but it has not happened. It only adds to our production costs,” he says.
He further alleges that producers are often pressured to hire only union members.
“If producers don’t employ dancers from the union, there are threats that film shoots will be stalled. That amounts to blackmail. Some choreographers also prolong song shoots to claim additional payments, which is unfair,” he alleges.
Production costs soar
Telugu Film Producers Council secretary T. Prasanna Kumar echoes these concerns, saying the existing system unnecessarily inflates production costs.
“If we hire dancers from Hyderabad, one coordinator is sufficient. If we also engage dancers from Chennai, we’ll need to appoint another coordinator for the same work. It is an unnecessary financial burden,” he says.
Prasanna Kumar urges the dancers’ association to rethink its policies.
“The association should stop demanding higher payments at the last minute by taking advantage of producers’ fear that shooting may be disrupted. Producers should also be allowed to hire local dancers while shooting in places like Bangkok or Europe instead of being compelled to use only union cardholders,” he says.
Entry barriers for aspiring dancers
Producer S.K. Nayeem Muddin also alleges that the dancers’ union has collected excessive money from producers over the years.
“There are hundreds of talented young dancers in the market, but they are reportedly required to obtain a union card costing nearly ₹6 lakh before they can get work. As a result, many genuinely skilled dancers are deprived of opportunities,” he alleges.