Is Dil Raju behind the entire percentage row?

Shirish and Suniel Narang, both prominent distributors, exhibitors, and producers, have emerged as the public faces of the Telangana Exhibitors Association’s demand for a permanent percentage-sharing system in place of the current rental model.

The proposal has triggered a sharp response from the Active Producers Guild, represented by leading producers such as Suryadevara Naga Vamsi, Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar, Sudhakar Cherukuri, and Sahu Garapati.

However, industry circles believe the man at the center of the controversy is actually Dil Raju.

Interestingly, the veteran producer has maintained silence on the issue despite being a key stakeholder on both sides. He is a member of the Producers Guild while also being one of the biggest distributors in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Shirish, who is his business partner and family member, has been actively voicing support for the percentage system.

So far, Dil Raju has refrained from making any public comments. Recently, Mythri Ravi Shankar alleged that the veteran producer was backing the move because he was unable to secure big-star films and prime release dates. Yet Dil Raju himself has neither endorsed nor denied the claims publicly.

Currently, Dil Raju is busy producing two major Hindi films — one starring Salman Khan and another featuring Akshay Kumar. He also remains the only Telugu producer to have produced a film with C. Joseph Vijay, the current chief minister of Tamil Nadu.