Of films, sports, politics and trade

Hyderabad: Earlier, the demarcation was clear and visible. There was no trespassing. Film stars were confined to tinsel world, politicians were on their canvas, cricketers were bating for their glory and entrepreneurs were into their profit making business.

Things have changed and everyone wants to be a bit of everything. Politicians want to be actors, producers or exhibitors, Actors want to become politicians, cricketers and sports persons are testing their luck at the hustings. One thing that is common in all is enterprise. They are all into some business or the other.

Sean Connery has asked a percentage instead of a fixed remuneration for the James Bond films, they had to bring in a new actor as the fee went many folds than what they originally thought of.

Kerry Packer has changed the course of cricket and the players knew there was money in the game. Gullible players fell for the bait and the game was never the same again.

While Azharuddin, Kirti Azad and Navjot Singh Siddu made it to the Lok Sabha, one generation earlier, MG Ramachandran took the Congress and Tamil Nadu by storm.

Then came NT Rama Rao, who spent the better part of his life in Chennai but rose to power on Telugu pride plank in the State.

After that the mix up of actor-politician-sportsperson-entrepreneur became a norm. You are anyone two of the four categories and in most cases enterprise is an essential ingredient for a politician.

There are few people who strayed into politics for various reasons without having money power.

That phase is over. Now the trend is how to blend all the four qualities and in what proportion. Political films are being made, Politicians have become proxy politicians, and ideologies are discussed in films and its all business.

Mandalaadheesudu was the film which came in to lampoon NTR, while NTR had tried to bring in contemporary equations into mythological and historical movies.

Chiranjeevi then came up with themes like social justice and quality in Tagore and other films.

Tollywood has made enough efforts to project one community in Rayalaseema as ferocious warmongers and at the same has shown one community in coastal Andhra as people to dispense justice and are revered for that.

Political thrillers are now going awry with corruption, gang wars and vendetta taking the centre stage. The reason being no actor is directly or actively associated with politics.

With Balakrishna showing interest in TDP affairs and going places, there comes his film Adhinayakudu in which he plays three roles representing three generations. The film has a political backdrop and remains to be seen how it will be timed.

For record sake, the film scheduled to be released for Mahasivarathri was postponed. His earlier film Sri Rama Rajyam was also postponed for some reason. Balakrishna is known for having great faith in astrology.

What predictions are there for him in store is something we have to wait and see as and when they unfold.