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Sai Rajesh's TFDA Pushes for Permanent Ban on Journalist Murthy
Telugu Film Directors Association, led by Sai Rajesh, demands a permanent ban on journalist Murthy for social media misconduct, intensifying the clash with film journalism.
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Dumtika Editorial
March 30, 2026 · 1 min read
(Image: Dumtika Editorial)
The battle between Tollywood's power corridors and film journalism has reached a boiling point. On March 30, 2026, the Telugu Film Directors Association (TFDA) led by its newly elected Treasurer N. Sai Rajesh, President V.N. Adithya, and General Secretary P.V. Rama Rao fired a strong salvo by officially releasing a letter addressed to the Telugu Film Journalists Association (TFJA).
The target: senior journalist Vedula Suryanarayana Murthy, widely known as DeviPriya.
Murthy had already been suspended by the TFJA for three months earlier this year over allegations of social media misconduct specifically, targeting and publicly criticizing fellow journalists on Twitter. The suspension barred him from attending press meets, personal interviews, and all media interactions.
But Sai Rajesh's TFDA wasn't satisfied with a temporary suspension. The letter went further, recommending a permanent ban on Murthy, stating that individuals who misuse cinema journalism for personal gains cause irreparable damage to the Telugu film industry's reputation. The association pledged full support to the TFJA if they enforce a lifetime ban.
Sai Rajesh shared the letter on his Instagram, drawing nearly 800 likes and heated debate in the comments. Director Varun Reddy publicly praised Sai Rajesh's leadership, calling it a healthy change. Others questioned whether Murthy was being treated too harshly.
This bold move signals that the new TFDA leadership under Sai Rajesh who swept the directors' elections with a record 938 out of 1,054 votes intends to actively police the boundaries between cinema and the media that covers it.
