Veteran Actor Balakrishna Flays MAA Officials

Veteran Tollywood actor Nandamuri Balakrishna today criticised the office bearers of the Movie Artists Association (MAA) for their alleged failure to construct an office for the association.

He asked the office bearers why they had been unable to construct or procure a building for the body so far, and claimed, "Many MAA office bearers are in close contact with the members of the Telangana cabinet. I wonder why the state government has not even given an acre of land for the construction of the MAA office building then."

The senior actor also alleged, "Some members of the MAA had toured the US in the name of raising of funds for our association. I would like ask them what happened to the funds they had collected."

Commenting on the recent spats between actors ahead of the upcoming MAA elections, he asserted that it was "not proper" for film artistes to air their dirty laundry in public.

Balakrishna then revealed who he would likely support in the upcoming elections. He said, "Though I believe that all actors are the same when it comes to their suitability for association posts, I will support Manchu Vishnu wholeheartedly if he takes up the issue of the construction of an MAA office space and begins to take steps for its establishment."

The MAA elections, scheduled tentatively for September this year, are getting rather heated. Reports say that four members from the Tollywood film fraternity are currently in the fray for the post of MAA President – Prakash Raj, Vishnu Manchu, Jeevitha Rajasekhar and Hema.

Prakash Raj's announcement that he would be contesting for the post has elicited strong responses within Tollywood with some pointing out that he hails from "outside" (Raj is from Karnataka). However, many others have spoke in support of the senior actor.

The tension of the upcoming elections has also led to other rows and controversies. Recently, producer and actor Konidela Nagendra Babu had remarked that under the current MAA office bearers, the body had become "lacklustre" and "lacking in decency". His comments prompted incumbent MAA president Naresh to provide "proof" of all the activities undertaken by the association over the last four years.