Chiranjeevi meets Andhra CM over movie ticket pricing row

Amid a raging row between Andhra Pradesh government and Tollywood over movie ticket prices megastar Chiranjeevi called on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy here on ThursdayOn the invitation of the Chief Minister Chiranjeevi had a meeting with him over lunch at the latters official residence at Tadepalli hereAfter reaching Gannavaram airport by a special flight from Hyderabad the popular actor and former Central minister drove straight to the CMs houseAfter the meeting that lasted for oneandahalf hour 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 theatre ownersTerming the meeting fruitful Chiranjeevi hoped that all the problems will be solved soon in a manner acceptable to allChiranjeevi said the Chief Minister assured him that a mutually acceptable decision will be takenChiranjeevi quoted Reddy as saying that he will not take any onesided decision The CM also assured that nobody needs to feel insecureReddy told Chiranjeevi that he will convey the issues raised by him to the committee constituted by the government and a draft will be prepared following which Chiranjeevi he will be invited again for consultation before the issuance of a government orderThe actor said he would discuss the draft with all the stakeholders in the industry and he would be happy to take them along to meet the Chief Minister next timeChiranjeevi also appealed to all in the industry to avoid issuing statements on the issue I am making a request not as an industry elder but as a son of the industry he saidThe meeting and Chiranjeevis appeal came amid a bitter war of words between some Tollywood personalities and Cinematography Minister Perni Nani and leaders of the ruling YSR Congress partySeveral producers actors exhibitors and theatre owners have slammed the state government for slashing movie ticket prices which has led to the closure of some cinemasChiranjeevi said he apprised Reddy of the concerns of all in the wake of the uncertainty prevailing for the last few monthsHe said Reddy invited him as he wanted to hear the other side of the storyWhile appreciating the governments intention to make entertainment affordable for the common man Chiranjeevi put forward the problems of the film industry exhibitors theatre owners and othersThe film industry is not just glamour or rosy as it appears There is hard work of many workers behind it Majority of them work on daily wages he saidThe actor recalled that during the pandemic many workers suffered a lot for four months as they did not get any workHe said that similarly workers in theatres are worried over losing their jobs due to closuresHe claimed that the Chief Minister also responded positively for allowing theatres to have a fifth show on special occasionsChiranjeevi said he gave constructive suggestions and the Chief Minister wrote down some points He hoped that a draft will come in a week or 10 days while a final government order will be issued in 23 weeksThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever