Kamal Hassan earlier today strongly pitched for
increasing cinema ticket prices on par with global rates, saying
the existing cost was less than that of a cola sold in developed
countries. "Though the efforts taken in making of a cinema are
much more difficult than making of a cola, it is unfortunate
that the cost of entry tickets is less compared to the cost of
Cola sold in developed countries," he told reporters.
"In India it is considered as an entertainment media. But is not
considered as an essential commodity like hospitals," he said
speaking on the sidelines of the FICCI's two-day conference
"Media and Entertainment Conclave," which got off to a start.
Asked whether the increase in price of movie tickets would not
affect the common man, he shot back "people buy a jeans for Rs
10,000 and shoes for Rs 5,000. Either you want to drink tea at a
roadside tea shop or you want to drink tea at a five star deluxe
hotel, the decision is yours. I definitely support the idea of
increasing the cost of film tickets."
Noting that the Indian cinema industry in its
centenary year was considered as the biggest in terms of volume,
he said however in revenue terms it was not biggest as the
industry still lacks in basic infrastructure. "We do not have
proper infrastructure on electricity. Today country wide there
are power cuts. There is no infrastructure," he said to a query.
On the conference, Kamal Hasan, who is its Chairman, said
several vital issues were deliberated. This year a skill
development course for below the line technicians of the film
industry was being conducted.
"The digitization in four metros is going to happen shortly.
Such important topics were deliberated...," he said. There was a
plan to set up a specific skill development centre in
association with FICCI for the technicians who risk their lives
in film industry, he said. To a query on where Tamil cinema
stands globally, he said, "...I cannot say, where it will stand.
I want to go to world cinema with my language and I am trying
that."
Stating that FICCI was taking efforts to store rare Bollywood
movies, he said unity among the actors and producers in the
Hindi film world was "missing" in Tamil film industry.
Substantiating his point, he said even the FICCI Media and
Entertainment conclave which began in Mumbai was brought to
Chennai only after seven to eight years. |
