Damodara Prasad, Secretary of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC), speaks up on the issue of piracy and how TFCC is combatting the same
suresh kavirayani
Piracy remains one of the biggest challenges for filmmakers, especially in Telugu cinema. Recently, films like Game Changer, Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, and Thandel suffered heavy losses due to piracy. Despite a dedicated team working around the clock to take down pirated copies from various websites, new uploads keep emerging.
“It’s not possible to eradicate piracy completely because it is like cancer,” said Damodara Prasad, Secretary of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC). He explained that TFCC has been relentlessly working to combat piracy. “Earlier, piracy was physical, where films were copied onto CDs. Now, it has become a global issue with digital piracy. There are legal provisions to tackle it, but implementing them takes time. In that period, the damage is already done,” he said.
Damodara Prasad acknowledged the government’s cooperation in fighting piracy but emphasized the challenges posed by the digital landscape. “We have tied up with Google, and our authenticity is such that if a pirated film is uploaded online, we can have it removed immediately. Many Hindi filmmakers also approach us for help in removing pirated copies of their films,” he said.
He further revealed that TFCC’s expertise has even attracted the attention of Hollywood. “We have worked with major Hollywood production houses like Walt Disney and Sony. Even the FBI contacts us annually regarding piracy-related matters,” he added, highlighting the international reach of their work.
To protect films from piracy, TFCC charges a nominal fee from production houses before their movie’s release. “For small films, we charge ?25,000 to ?50,000, for medium-budget films ?1 lakh, and for big-budget films ?2 lakh. Considering that filmmakers invest crores in their projects, this is a very small amount. This fee helps pay for software experts who work continuously to track and remove pirated content,” he explained. However, he noted that not all filmmakers pay regularly. “Some production houses, like Geetha Arts, have always made their payments before release,” he added.
The TFCC piracy cell has removed nearly 36,000 pirated copies of Pushpa 2. However, despite these efforts, the movie is still available online. “Some websites, like iBomma and Movierulz, operate from different countries, making it impossible to track their IP addresses. Moreover, if India does not have a treaty with those countries, we cannot take legal action against them,” he said.
Damodara Prasad also pointed out that most pirated versions of films originate from northern India. “Since most films are now released pan-India, an HD print of the Hindi version is often recorded in a remote village, while Telugu dialogues are separately recorded in theaters in Telugu states. These are then merged to create high-quality pirated copies,” he explained.
Despite all efforts, piracy remains a persistent problem. Damodara Prasad believes that the real solution lies with the people. “Whatever we do, we are doing our best. But ultimately, awareness has to come from the audience. If people make a conscious decision not to watch pirated movies, then the problem can be solved,” he concluded.
