While hoardings and banners in the city proudly showcased Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and producer Dil Raju—Gaddar’s iconic face was less seen.
Published Jun 15, 2025 | 2:43 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 15, 2025 | 2:43 PM
Gaddar's face is missing from the invitations of the Telangana Gaddar Film Awards
Synopsis: Call it irony. The first-ever Gaddar Film Awards event forgot the people’s poet, whose name has been given to the awards. However, invitations and publicity materials have not forgotten the political masters.
The Telangana Government rolled out the red carpet for the first-ever Gaddar Film Awards on Saturday, 14 June, but forgot the face of Gaddar. The fiery revolutionary whose name has been given to the awards seems to be missing from official invitations sent out for the evening.
While hoardings and banners in the city proudly showcased Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and producer Dil Raju—Gaddar’s iconic face was less seen.
BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha was quick to call out the irony. “It is sad that the Congress government, which chants Gaddar’s name on every occasion, does not have Gaddar’s photo in the invitation letter for the film awards given in his name,” she said, calling it an “insult” to the people’s poet.
“I request that his portrait be displayed at least at the awards ceremony to honour them,” she added.
ప్రజా గాయకుడు గద్దర్ గారిని కాంగ్రెస్ ప్రభుత్వం అవమానించడాన్ని తీవ్రంగా ఖండిస్తున్నాను.
ప్రతి సందర్భంలో గద్దర్ గారి పేరును జపం చేసే కాంగ్రెస్ సర్కార్ వారి పేరు మీద ఇస్తున్నటువంటి సినీ అవార్డుల ఆహ్వాన పత్రికలో గద్దర్ గారి ఫోటో లేకపోవడం బాధాకరం
కనీసం అవార్డుల పంపిణీ… pic.twitter.com/iZwokSb82u
— Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) June 13, 2025
Congress’s rebel MLC Teenmaar Mallanna couldn’t resist. “Give the ‘Best Designer’ award to whoever made Gaddar disappear,” he quipped, referring to the mysterious creative choices behind the official event branding.
“Give a ‘Best Designer’ award to the genius who made Gaddar’s photo vanish from the Telangana Gaddar Film Award invite! 😜 If the govt only needs his name, why bother with his face? Is this a design or a magic trick to make Gaddar ‘invisible’? 😎 #TelanganaGovt”#Gaddar… pic.twitter.com/UlyF1WmUBO
— Teenmar Mallanna (@TeenmarMallanna) June 13, 2025
The awards were supposed to honour cinematic excellence while paying tribute to a man who gave voice to revolution and the people’s pain. Instead, they’ve sparked a firestorm about who the real star is and who it’s celebrating—the namesake and icon, or the incumbents.
As the ceremony kicks off, one question looms larger than the chief minister’s face on those banners: Can you celebrate the Gaddar Film Awards without Gaddar?
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
