The filmmaker had been questioning the state government over its move to decide cinema admission rates.
Ram Gopal Varma to meet with Andhra Pradesh minister to discuss movie tickets issue
Mumbai - 08 Jan 2022 23:03 IST
Our Correspondent
Ram Gopal Varma will meet with Andhra Pradesh cinematography minister Perni Venkataramaiah on 10 January to discuss the issue of the state government fixing cinema ticket prices.
Yesterday, the filmmaker said that he would be exchanging views with the leader after engaging in a war of words on Twitter.
Happy to inform that I have been invited by the honourable cinematography minister to the Amaravati Secretariat on January 10 th afternoon ….Thank u @perni_nani Garu for your kind initiative to exchange views on the AP ticket pricing for an amicable solution💐
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 7, 2022
Varma has been raising this issue since the beginning of 2022 and directed several questions to the state government regarding its order on capping the price of movie tickets in Andhra Pradesh. He asked, “Dear honourable minister of cinematography Perni Nani sir, I humbly request you or your representatives to answer the following questions, sir. What precisely is the role of government in deciding the market price of any product including films sir?”
Dear honourable minister of cinematography @perni_nani Sir, I humbly request you or your representatives to answer the following questions sir ..What precisely is the role of government in deciding a market price of any product including films sir ?
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 4, 2022
He went on to say, “I understand government might intervene and fix a price below or above the equilibrium when there’s a dire shortage of an essential commodity like wheat, rice, kerosene oil etc, but how does that apply to films?”
Dear honourable minister of cinematography @perni_nani sir, I understand government might intervene and fix a price below or above the equilibrium when there’s a dire shortage of an essential commodity like wheat, rice , kerosene oil etc , But how does that apply to films sir ?
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 4, 2022
Dear honourable minister of cinematography @perni_nani Sir,It’s basics of economics that a forced lowering of price even in food grains will make farmers lose motivation thus causing shortages creating lack of quality, and the same theory will also apply to Film production sir
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 4, 2022
Dear honourable minister of cinematography @perni_nani sir ,in case you feel cinema is so essential for the poor then why doesn’t the government subsidise it like how you do it for medical and educational services by paying the balance from the government’s pocket sir ?
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 4, 2022
Varma asked if there was a need to create ‘ration theatres’ for the poor on the lines of ration shops where the needy can buy rice and sugar at low rates.
Dear honourable minister of cinematography @perni_nani Sir, like RATION SHOPS were created to give rice , sugar etc to benefit the poor , would u consider creating RATION THEATRES sir?
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 4, 2022
The filmmaker has been consistently raising the issue online and in interviews on news channels. He also suggested a ‘solution’ that could work, using a dual-price system where both producers and the government could sell tickets at the price of their choice.
Dear honourable minister of cinematography @perni_nani Sir,The solution can be in theory of a dual price system where producers can sell tickets at their price and government can buy some tickets and sell it to poor at lower prices so that we get our money and you get your votes
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 4, 2022
Varma also asked the Telugu film industry to speak up about the issue, but few have publicly stood with him.
Thank you Naga Babu Garu ..I hope more people from our industry will Adress this issue https://t.co/qGHFLLh7zF
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 4, 2022
He has also expressed the opinion that theme parks, music concerts and magic shows also come under the entertainment industry but their ticket prices have not come under scrutiny.
For ur kind info like films, theme parks , music concerts , magic shows etc etc also come under entertainment enterprises ..Their ticket prices also are not fixed by the government
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 8, 2022
