Nani’s Hard-hitting Reply To RGV’s Questions

Maverick director Ram Gopal Varma entered the controversy of ticket prices in AP and he kind of criticized the YCP government for lowering the prices. Last evening RGV posted a video on YouTube and shot ten questions at the state government. The director tagged AP cinematography minister Perni Nani in his Tweets as well and a reply has come too.

Perni Nani replied to RGV on Twitter and countered all the logical questions of the director. “Which law and basic economics have said that Rs 100 tickets can be sold at an exorbitant price of Rs 1000 and Rs 2000? Is this called ‘Demand & Supply’ or Black Marketing?” questioned Perni Nani.

On RGV comparing cinema with essential commodities, Perni Nani said, “The regular staples fall under daily essentials whereas cinema doesn’t. Cinema is an entertainment and cinema falls is a place that offers entertainment. A common man cannot be looted at these places and accordingly many state governments have been controlling the ticket prices for the last 66 years,” added Perni Nani.

The YCP minister countered RGV’s statement of losing motivation owing to forced reduction of ticket prices. “You (RGV) arguments are at the behest of a producer and you are not thinking about the ticket prices on a common man’s angle. I urge you to think on behalf of the people too,” replied Nani.

Clarifying that the AP government is not considering cinema as an essential, Perni Nani added that the government will not decide the ticket price based on the heroes remuneration or the film’s budget. A government will decide the ticket price based on the amenities provided inside the theatre/cinema hall and this is as per the 1970 Cinematography Act.

“The state government is just controlling the ticket prices but not film production which is touching sky these days and we are monitoring the prices keeping the common man in view,” stated the minister.

Lastly Nani summed up by mocking RGV who commented that the people have given power to support from the bottom and not to sit on the top of our heads. “It’s inappropriate on RGV’s part to draw a comparison that our government is sitting on top of film industry heads but we have stopped the loot when the film industry decides to sell ticket prices at their own will,” concluded Perni Nani.

That’s a hard-hitting response from the YCP minister but he clearly stated that the ticket prices depend upon the amenities provided inside the theatre/cinema hall. A majority of the theatres in AP have decent facilities and ticket prices certainly need to be hiked with the same logic.