Cinema ticket row: Ram Gopal Varma, minister Perni Nani fight it out on Twitter

Vijayawada: The tweet war between movie director Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) and cinematography minister Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani) on ticket prices continued on Wednesday with tweets and counter tweets. Ram Gopal Varma said he is ready for a debate on TV with economic experts on ticket prices.

It may be noted that RGV posed 10 questions to minister Perni Nani on the authority of government to fix ticket prices. In reply, the minister questioned the director is it correct to sell Rs 100 tickets at Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. He said it is nothing but looting cine goers. He said that Varma is arguing on behalf of producers leaving aside the interests of audience and claimed that the state government is controlling ticket prices to make entertainment "affordable" to common people. In a counter tweet RGV while thanking the minister for replying in a humble way without personal attacks, stated that ticket price depends upon the demand and supply principle. Stating the government has no authority to fix ticket prices, he asked, "How can you treat Pawan Kalyan movie and upcoming actor movie as same?. Is there no difference between you and your driver?" He said the prices depend on facilities in different hotels. "Everyone wants better facilities. If that motivation lacked, society will not develop further and Communism also failed due to this underlying point," he added.

Referring to the accusation that audience were being looted by producers, RGV said it is an understanding between people and producers since it is a legal transaction. The government will get taxes as per the increased ticket prices. Citing the example of Delhi where the film ticket price ranges between Rs 75 to Rs 2,200 depending on the days like normal days and weekend demand, RGV said it is an open transaction and not an illegal activity like black marketing as taxes are paid to the government. He said he was an engineering student, not a student of economics, but he was ready for a debate on the issue with an expert on economics from the government side.

In an apparent retort to minister P Anil Kumar Yadav who said he did not know who actor Nani was when he was asked to comment on Nani's anguish over plight of theatres over reduced ticket prices, the maverick director tweeted, " Some people are asking me to respond to remarks made by one Kodali Nani in response to my comments on ticket prices. I don't know who this Kodali Nani, I know only natural star Nani."