Many actors find the going tough

HYDERABAD: An affair with Tollywood may look rosy initially, but the film industry has proven time and again to be too cruel to nurture lasting relationships. Several film personalities, including actors, directors and producers, have found frustrating experiences in Tollywood. While for some it's a dream cut short, others go down a bleaker road ending in depression and in rare cases, suicide.Actor Uday Kiran too was reportedly suffering from depression as his film career waned, and on Monday, he hanged himself at his residence.
The shooting star syndrome in the film industry is quite common. Several young heroes have come, shone and then faded away due to lack of opportunities. Actor Tarun, son of yesteryears actress Roja Ramani, was a child artiste before he became a hero. However stardom eluded him and he has not had any releases since 2009.
An actor from the Nandamuri clan has also had a bitter experience. Tarakaratna had the advantage of being launched simultaneously in nine films, but over the years he failed to establish himself.
Actor Raja too made a good beginning with 'Anand' directed by Shekhar Kammula, bagging several Nandi awards in 2004. However, he too failed to propel himself to the top league. Subsequently, due to problems in the release of 'Inkosari', Raja attempted suicide in March 2010.
He even approached the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) looking for help in the getting screen space for his film.
Another hero, Aryan Rajesh, brother of Allari Naresh is practically out of work. Elder son of late director E V V Satyanarayana, Rajesh could not even gain a toehold in Tollywood. His brother, however, has been pulling on with comedy films.
Meanwhile, even successful actors are also opening up to the idea of teaming up with other heroes in films. Actor Venkatesh paired up with Mahesh Babu last year in 'Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu'. Actor Srikanth too has shown he is not averse to being one of the heroes in films.
In the case of heroines, the going gets tougher because of the obsession with youth. Leading actresses of the day are virtually 'rotated' and once she has been paired with all the leading heroes, directors and producers scout for fresh faces. Actresses are left to find space with fledgling heroes or move over to other avenues. Once at the top, actress Shriya is no longer to be seen. Tamannah is finding the sailing difficult and Charmee too is barely managing to survive.
Top directors also face the lean phase. Krishna Vamsi, once the most sought-after director, is today facing problems releasing a film. Not too long ago, producer Chengala Venkat Rao, who was also an MLA, attempted suicide by jumping into the Hussainsagar. He was allegedly frustrated at the obstacles in releasing 'Narasimhudu'. Balakrishna-starrer 'Sriramarajyam' producer Yellamanchili Saibabu is said to be neck deep in debt and is even unable to release a movie that he produced with his son in the lead.