Megastar Chiranjeevi met Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy here on Thursday amid a tussle between the Andhra Pradesh government and Tollywood over film ticket prices.
At the invitation of the Chief Minister, Chiranjeevi held a luncheon meeting with him at his official residence in Tadepalli.
After arriving at Gannavaram airport in a special flight from Hyderabad, the popular actor and former Union minister drove straight to the CM’s house.
After the one-and-a-half-hour meeting, the actor told reporters at the airport that Reddy responded positively to the issues raised by him on behalf of the film industry, exhibitors and theater owners.
Describing the meeting as fruitful, Chiranjeevi expressed hope that all the problems would be resolved soon in a manner acceptable to all.
Chiranjeevi said the chief minister assured him that a mutually acceptable decision would be taken.
Chiranjeevi quoted Reddy as saying that he would not take any unilateral decision. The CM also assured that no one needs to feel insecure.
Reddy told Chiranjeevi that he would convey the issues raised by him to a committee set up by the government, and a draft would be prepared after which he would be invited again for consultation before issuing a government order to Chiranjeevi.
The actor said he would discuss the draft with all stakeholders of the industry, and he would be happy to take them along to meet the chief minister next time.
Chiranjeevi also appealed to everyone in the industry to refrain from issuing statements on the issue. “I am making a request not as an industrialist, but as a son of the industry,” he said.
The meeting and Chiranjeevi’s appeal came amid a war of words between some Tollywood celebrities and Cinematography Minister Perni Nani and leaders of the ruling YSR Congress Party.
Several producers, actors, exhibitors and theater owners have slammed the state government for slashing movie ticket prices, which has led to the closure of some theaters.
Chiranjeevi said he apprised Reddy of everyone’s concerns in view of the uncertainty prevailing over the past few months.
He said Reddy invited him because he wanted to hear the other side of the story.
Appreciating the government’s intention to make entertainment affordable for the common man, Chiranjeevi highlighted the problems faced by the film industry, exhibitors, theater owners and others.
He said, “The film industry is not just glamor or rosy as it appears. Behind it is the hard work of many workers. Most of them work on daily wages.”
The actor recalled that during the pandemic, many workers suffered a lot for four months as they could not find any work.
Similarly, workers in cinema halls are worried about losing their jobs due to the shutdown, he added.
He claimed that the Chief Minister also responded positively for allowing a fifth show on special occasions.
Chiranjeevi said that he gave constructive suggestions and the Chief Minister wrote down some points. He expressed hope that the draft will come in a week or 10 days while the final government order will be issued in 2-3 weeks.
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