Telangana does not allow benefit shows of movies, actors’ theatre visits
Announcing the Assembly, Minister for Cinematography Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said the government will continue to extend special incentives to promote the film industry.
Hyderabad: In a strong reaction to the stampede during the premiere show of Pushpa 2 at a theatre in Hyderabad, the Telangana government on Saturday announced that it has decided not to allow actors to visit theatres, and benefit shows ahead of the movie’s release.
Announcing the Assembly, Minister for Cinematography Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said the government will continue to extend special incentives to promote the film industry.
He also declared that the government will not increase the rates of cinema tickets.
The state government has been allowing an increase in the rates for big-budget movies featuring top stars. It also permitted increased rates for “Pushpa 2: The Rule”.
The minister’s announcement came after a statement by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on the December 4 incident at Sandhya Theatre, which claimed the life of a woman and injured her son.
The minister said that actor Allu Arjun did not fulfil his commitment to pay Rs 25 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased.
Venkat Reddy announced that he would pay Rs 25 lakh to the family from the Prateek Foundation. He later visited KIMS Hospital, where eight-year-old Sri Teja was undergoing treatment. He handed over a cheque of Rs 25 lakh to his father, Bhaskar.
He said the government would continue to bear the expenditure for treating Sri Tej, who remained in a critical condition. He assured the family that the government would do everything possible to save the boy’s life.
The Cinematography Minister said the film’s hero or any other member of the film unit did not meet the family or visit the injured child.
He also assured the Assembly that steps would be taken to prevent such incidents.
After visiting the hospital, the minister said that the government would look into requests for enhancing cinema ticket prices and take a decision on a case-to-case basis.
Earlier, speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister came down heavily on actor Allu Arjun for visiting the theatre despite the denial of police permission and also conducting a ‘roadshow’ while arriving at the theatre. He claimed that Allu Arjun left the theatre only after a Deputy Commissioner of Police threatened to arrest him.
The Chief Minister said the actor also conducted a ‘roadshow’ by waving at people while leaving the theatre after the stampede.
He lashed out at the film personalities who made a beeline to Allu Arjun’s house after his release from jail but none of them met the family of the deceased or called on the injured boy.
