The film opened in theatres across Andhra, including 14 in Hyderabad on Thursday, to raving reviews.

Actor-director Murthy’s films have often exposes exploitation of the poor by landlords and governments. Most of his films under his home banner, Sneha Chitra, are branded as ‘red’ because they highlight the plight of the poor.

With the Congress Government facing flak from the Opposition, NGOs and social organisations fighting on behalf of those affected by the SEZs, the film, which questions the logic of SEZs giving benefit to a few at the cost of thousands of displaced people, is expected to add fuel to a raging fire. The TDP has accused the YSR Reddy Government of giving prime land to real estate developers and builders under SEZs.

A veteran of 26 films, Murthy’s last major film was Vegu Chukkalu in 2004 which he directed and also played the role of a labour union leader. At a time when farmers were feeling the pinch of SEZs, the film, about a sugar factory that was being sold off to an MNC, turned out to be a big hit.

Another film that opened on Thursday is based on Bathukamma, a popular spring festival celebrated in Telangana. The film, starring Tollywood starlet Sindhu Tolani, glorifies the region and its people. The Telangana Rashtriya Samiti had first brought the festival out of Telangana by organising festivities in Hyderabad on a massive scale to highlight it politically.