The Telugu Film TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association stands united, the leadership today said after visuals of Jani Master and Shekhar Master arguing with each other went viral on social media. There is no serious altercation between them. To clear the air, Jani Master and TFTDDA President Sumalatha held a press conference on Monday. They clarified that the association remains united and focused on member welfare.
Clarification On Altercation Rumours
Jani spoke to reporters to clear the air, stating there was no rift within the association. The gathering had been called for a straightforward purpose: to decide whether elections should be conducted through secret ballot. Besides this, members also touched upon a few other internal matters during the session.
Regrettably, certain video snippets from the event were shared online without proper context, giving rise to false claims that Shekhar Master and Jani Master had clashed with one another. Jani dismissed these claims outright, calling them entirely unfounded. He further informed the media that Shekhar Master, Bhanu Master, and every other member of the association share a good rapport. According to him, nobody views anyone else as a rival, and mutual support has always been the norm among them. Drawing an analogy, he likened the association to a family, noting that just as one sibling might be more vocal while another remains soft-spoken, this difference in temperament doesn't signal discord. He reiterated that whenever any member runs into difficulty, the entire association rallies behind them.
Megastar Chiranjeevi Offers Support
The viral videos even caught the attention of Megastar Chiranjeevi. He spoke to Jani Master and Shekhar Master after watching the clips. Jani shared that they had a pleasant conversation on the movie sets. They even enjoyed lunch together, proving there are no differences between them. The choreographers expressed immense gratitude to Chiranjeevi and other heroes. These industry leaders have always encouraged talented dancers. Jani Master noted that many grew up inspired by Chiranjeevi's dance, films, and action sequences. For them, dance is synonymous with his name. They thanked him deeply for his constant support.
Jani Master Secures Health Insurance Funds
The press conference also highlighted hard efforts toward dancers' health insurance. Jani Master addressed questions about his contributions to the community. He recently worked exclusively on the film Peddi. Actor Ram Charan generously contributed Rs 40 lakh towards health insurance for the dancers. However, the total cost to cover everyone amounted to Rs 58 lakh.
Jani Master approached several other dance masters to help raise the remaining Rs 18 lakh. No one came forward at the time, but he blamed nobody for that. Upon receiving his personal payment from the Peddi team, he chose not to keep a single rupee. He donated the entire Rs 18 lakh to complete the insurance fund.
Internal Management And Financial Issues
TFTDDA President Sumalatha spoke about the challenges of running a large organization. She noted that any mistake ultimately reflects on her position. She revealed that a substantial amount of funds was allegedly misused during the previous committee's tenure. Opposition against the current leadership began after Joseph Master lost the election. Ever since they questioned those financial irregularities, certain individuals have tried to find fault with their actions.
Resistance intensified after the leadership exposed another issue. Some in-charges were collecting higher payments from producers but paying dancers extremely less. After questioning the former General Secretary with supporting evidence, those responsible were suspended and subsequently resigned. Eight Executive Committee members also resigned, though they later denied it.
Democratic Decisions On Bye-Elections
Sumalatha argued against dissolving the entire association over the mistakes of a few individuals, noting that after recent resignations, over 136 of the 188 General Body members voted via secret ballot to hold bye-elections for the vacant positions. Although the Federation rejected the meeting and is demanding total dissolution, Sumalatha clarified that the vote was strictly to authorize bye-elections, not a completed election as falsely portrayed. Emphasizing that they seek the Federation's support and are acting lawfully, she stressed that all decisions represent the majority opinion rather than unilateral action.
