Govt has no right to interfere on cinema ticket rates: RGV

Vijayawada: Film director Ram Gopal Varma said that he will not accept the campaign that the State government reduced cinema ticket prices due to political vendetta against Pawan Kalyan and Balakrishna. He said such action would affect the entire film industry.

The director, who had exchanged series of tweets with Minister Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani) questioning government's propriety to interfere in cineme ticket rates, met the Minister at the Secretariat at Velagapudi on Monday to discuss on the cinema tickets issue.

Later speaking to mediapersons, Varma said that he was hundred per cent satisfied with the talks he had with the Cinematography Minister. He said he met the Minister on his own as a film director and not behalf of the entire Telugu film industry. He said that he explained his point of view on cinema ticket prices to the Minister. Stating that the government has no right to interfere on cinema ticket rates, the director cited the example of variation in price of idlis at a small hotel and a five star hotel. Likewise a producer should have a right to fix the ticket price for his big budget film.

Admitting that some producers postponed the release of their movies due to the prevailing uncertainty on ticket prices issue, the film director said that there was a difference in collections in recently released movie Pushpa.

Referring to tax evasion, he said that the State government has a right to take action in case of tax evasion.

The film director said that the meeting was purely based on exchange of views and he expressed his views to Perni Nani and the Minister also expressed the government's stand on the issue. He expressed hope that the issue will be settled amicably. Meanwhile speaking to the media, Minister Perni said that Ram Gopal Varma expressed his views on ticket prices. He said that he will submit the views of Varma to the committee constituted to decide on ticket prices.

He said that the State government has no intention to cause inconvenience to any section and the ticket prices will be fixed as per the rules. The Minister said that due to the prevailing Covid conditions, the theatres will run with 50 per cent occupation.