SPECIAL OCCASION: Director D. Rama Naidu receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award of the AP Cinegoers' Association from APCC president K. Keshava Rao in Hyderabad on Thursday. At right is B. Subhashan Reddy, Chairman of the State Human Rights Commiss ion. - Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: APCC president K. Keshava Rao on Thursday appealed to Telugu filmmakers to do a rethink on the increased cinema ticket rates, which came into effect recently.

He was referring to the jacked up admission rates for high budget productions of big film stars for the first two weeks of their release. "The Government is ready to extend all help to you, but do not distance cinema from the commoners for whom it is the only mode of entertainment," he said at the 35th annual film awards of the Andhra Pradesh Cinegoers' Association here on Thursday.

Plea to film industry

Mr. Rao wanted the Telugu Film Producers Council to come to the Government with the needs of the industry and `we are ready to do anything for you.' Veteran film producer D. Rama Naidu was presented with the Lifetime achievement award while noted filmmaker, K. Vishwanath and Laya bagged the best director and best actress awards for the film `Swarabhishekam.'

It was also adjudged the best film for the year along with `Varsham.' Earlier, general secretary of the association B. Kishan came down heavily on the Telugu film producers for increasing the admission rates for films of big stars. "The poor have been deprived of their due share of entertainment and the impact of the increased rates is evident in the empty booking counters," he claimed. Chiranjeevi's `Jai Chiranjeeva' was the first film to benefit from the decision of the Government to increase the cinema ticket rates of big productions.

The Chairman, State Human Rights Commission, B. Subhashan Reddy, gave away the awards.

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