Maverick film director Ram Gopal Varma’s twitter attack on Andhra Pradesh government over fixing of cinema ticket rates received a sharp retort from state cinematography minister Perni Venkatramaiah alias Nani on Wednesday.
In his typical style, Nani launched a counter-attack on RGV for questioning the authority of the government in fixing the cinema ticket prices in the state.
He sought to know which basic economics has said that cinema tickets, costing Rs 100, could be sold at Rs 1,000 or Rs 2,000.
“What is the law that states that cinema ticket sale is market-driven? What kind of market mechanism is it? Is it called demand-supply mechanism or black-marketing?” he asked.
Referring to RGV’s comment that the government could only control the essential commodities and not cinema tickets, Nani clarified that theatres were the platforms extending entertainment services to the people.
For the last 66 years, all the state governments have been deciding the ticket prices as per the law, to ensure that cinema industry does not loot the people by exploiting their craze for the cinema.
On RGV’s argument that the forcible reduction of ticket prices would reduce the motivation as per the fundamental principles of economics, Nandi sought to know who would lose the motivation.
“Is it for consumer or the seller? You have been thinking only in the angle of producers but not the consumers. Please think about the affordability of the audiences, Mr Varma,” he suggested.
Nani said the government never considered the film as an essential commodity and as such, there was no need to give any subsidy for watching the film.
He also said the government would not decide the ticket rates depending on the remuneration charged by the actors or the production cost.
It would be decided based on the facilities extended by the theatres to the audiences, he said.
On the rationale in deciding the government’s role in deciding the price of a product in the market, the minister said cinema was not a product but a service.
“We are only controlling the ticket prices for the sake of audiences and not the cinema production at all,” he said.
Nani refuted Varma’s allegation that the people had voted the YSRC to power to extend support to them, but not to crush them.
“If the government allows the theatres to sell the cinema ticket at indiscriminate rates, it amounts supporting. But if the government reduces the ticket rates for the sake of common man, it becomes crushing them. Is it right, Mr Varma?” he asked.
