Speaking at the 200-day function of 'Waltair Veerayya' on Monday, Chiranjeevi spoke of how tough it used to be for audience members to secure cinema tickets for his mega hits once upon a time. He was referring to the times when films like 'Mutha Mestri', 'Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari' and (even the early 2000s film) 'Indra' had the power to captivate fans and drive them into a frenzy.
Those were the days when teeming crowds would flock to cinema halls and stand in queues for hours to secure tickets in the first few weeks. With structural and commercial changes, a transformation has taken place in the exhibition sector. Today, even women are able to place their hands on movie tickets for the movies of top actors like Prabhas, Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu and Allu Arjun on Day 1.
Chiranjeevi, in his heartfelt speech, said that the present generation is missing the fun of going through self-torture. To be frank, the actor should stop glorifying the era when scarcity was ubiquitous. People had to queue up for cinema tickets, gas connections, phone connections, bikes, cars, etc. Today, prosperity has made things pretty easy for everyone from the rich to the middle class.
If our elders derived pleasure from being beaten up by constables on the premises of theatres, the present generation derives pleasure from the convenience of being able to watch movies comfortably, sometimes even enjoying discounts on snacks, all thanks to the era of abundant options in the entertainment industry.
Thanks to License Raj, Doordarshan was the only option for the previous generation. Today, sources of entertainment are just too many. No wonder youngsters today don't behave as if their entire life depends on watching the movie of their favourite star come what may.
