19 June 2025 | Press Club, Hyderabad: The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Telangana Chapter, along with activists, historians, and members of the Telugu film industry, demands that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy issue an immediate public statement clarifying the Telangana government’s stance on conferring the Gaddar Telangana Film Award to the film Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad. The decision to honor this film with three awards: Feature Film on Environment, Heritage, History; Best Makeup Artist, and Best Music Director, is a profound insult to the legacy of legendary communist leader and balladeer Gaddar, who dedicated his life to secular values and the upliftment of marginalised communities.
The selection of Razakar, produced by BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy, blatantly contradicts the Gaddar Awards’ purpose of celebrating cinematic excellence and cultural integrity. The film presents a selective and distorted portrayal of history, reducing the complex Telangana Armed Struggle (1946-51) to a communal Hindu-Muslim narrative. Rather than addressing the feudal, caste, and social power issues central to the struggle, it falsely depicts Razakars as exclusively Muslim, ignoring their diverse composition and the broader context of the Communist-led peasant rebellion against feudal oppression. This communal agenda, evident throughout the film, vilifies the Muslim community and distorts the legacy of the Nizam’s rule, undermining the principles of communal harmony and historical integrity that Gaddar championed. Awarding such a film in his name is a betrayal of his lifelong fight for justice and equality.
The Congress party, which opposed Razakar before its release due to its divisive content, has now endorsed its recognition through the state-backed Gaddar Awards. This contradictory stance has deeply hurt the sentiments of Muslims and secular-minded people across Telangana, who view the awards as an endorsement of communal propaganda.
The Gaddar Awards’ regulations explicitly prohibit entries that disrupt communal harmony, yet Razakar has been accused of doing precisely that. Despite public outcry, petitions, and condemnation from citizens, political groups, and organizations, the Telangana government has failed to address the controversy or withdraw the awards.
We urge the Telangana government to:
- Revoke the Gaddar Award conferred on Razakar.
- Reassess the award selection process to ensure alignment with principles of historical accuracy and social unity.
- Issue a public statement from the Chief Minister clarifying the government’s position on endorsing a film that distorts history and promotes communal disharmony through a state-backed award named after Gaddar.
This action is critical to restore the integrity of the Gaddar Awards, honor the secular and revolutionary legacy of Gaddar, and address the hurt caused to Telangana’s secular communities which want to protect its ganga-jamani Tehzeeb.
Speakers at the Press Conference:
- N. Venu Gopal, Activist & Editor, Veekshanam
- Anand Singh, Activist, Hyderabad Cinephiles & In Defense of Reason
- Dr. Pasunoori Ravinder, Poet & Writer, Central Sahitya Akademi Awardee
- Syed Rafi, Film Director, Producer, Activist, Columnist
- Sarah Mathews, Activist
- Prof. Anwar Khan, Social Activist
- Adv. Afsar Jahan, Telangana High Court
- Sky Baba, Poet, Journalist, Activist
- Prem Raj, Film Director, Screenwriter, Storywriter
- Adv. Mohd Shakeel, President, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Telangana
- Adv. MA Shakeel, Activist
- Prof. Inam ur Rahman, Historian
- Oudesh Rani Bawa, Linguist & Historian
- Sana Ullah Khan, Chairman, SC, ST, VC, Muslim Front
- Maria Arifuddin, Activist & Educationist