In a sudden outburst against the Telugu film industry, Jana Sena Party president and Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan on Saturday said those in the film industry have shown no basic gratitude towards the AP government.
“We have been working for the development of the film industry and ensuring dignity for those in the industry. But there's no sign of gratitude or basic respect from them toward the government. Even after a year of the NDA government’s formation, not even once have they tried to meet chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu formally,” he said in a statement.
He pointed out that except when it comes to movie releases, the film industry people have made no efforts for the betterment of the industry. Even when we called for unity, no positive response came from them.
“Have you forgotten how the previous YSR Congress party government headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had insulted film personalities, including top actors? The previous government worked based on personal preferences and created obstacles during the release of films it did not approve of. How can producers forget that?” he asked.
He said when top producers like Dil Raju, Allu Aravind, D. Suresh Babu, Y. Supriya, Chinna Babu, C. Ashwini Dutt, Naveen Yerneni and others met him, he said that if the industry stands united, it can develop.
“Still, they continued submitting individual petitions to the cinematography department asking for ticket price hikes for their films. The government has been responding positively,” he said.
He said he would accept this return gift accordingly. “But from now on, there will be no room for personal requests or discussions. I will hold talks only with representatives of the respective departments and forward the matters to the appropriate offices,” he said.
Pawan Kalyan also discussed the condition of theatres, amenities for audiences, and other issues with relevant departments.
He mentioned frequent complaints from the public about: exorbitant prices for food and beverages, lack of proper drinking water in cinemas etc.
He confirmed that regular monitoring would be undertaken. Special attention will be paid to multiplexes in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Nellore, Rajamahendravaram, Guntur, Kakinada, Tirupati, and other major cities – particularly in terms of ticket pricing and food rates.
