769 (Part 1/10) of Review of Mr. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu's interview to DeccanChronicle.Com.

This blog has no affiliations. It neither loves or hates Messsrs. Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders or Vladimir Putin or Narendra Modi or (Ms.) Sonia Gandhi or Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu or Mr. Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy. Writing impartial blogs is harder than fencing. Sometimes, we may inadvertantly give appearances of being biased. Then, we have a maxim: Practice makes a man perfect. Even if that goal of perfect impartiality is unattainable, (besides, there is no definition of what is partial and what is impartial), some amount of excellence is, and will be possible. Here is a Review of one interview given by Mr. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, Chief Minister of Residual Andhra Pradesh State, India, to DeccanChronicle.Com. Click to go to DC and study the entire interview in its originality . Print Edition Reference: 4th June 2016, page 11 Top half.

Though whatever I am writing below has some 'Regional Scent of Andhra Pradesh', they are relevant even to other States of India, and even to other countries. Reason: Poor people of the entire World are caught in the entanglement of the tentacles of Smithsonian Capitalism. Today every country in the World is begging for foreign investments. Every country in the World have got installed Crony Capitalist Governments. Presidents and Prime Ministers, Governors and Chief Ministers are only dummies. The real rulers are the Business and Industrial Tycoons. Even the so-called self-publicising Communist countries like China, Vietnam, Cuba are not exceptions to this slavery(ies). Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu and Mr. K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Ms. Jayalalitaa, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Narendra Modi, Mr. Arun Jaitley, Mr. Donald Trump, Ms. Hillary Clinton, Mr. Vladimir Putin, et al. are only small cogs in the international monstracity called Multi National Capitalism. The real rulers will always pull the strings from behind the screens. Hence, in a way Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu deserve sympathies for their helplessness.

Here is a review of some of the answers given by Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu in the above linked interview:-

With works on the AP capital still in the initial stage, can you showcase Amaravati as your government’s achievement in the 2019 elections? How long will it take to build the capital?

A: We started from a minus stage. Before bifurcation of the state, did the idea of Amaravati exist? The state was divided and we needed a new capital. There was a lot of discussion about where the capital should come up. The Sivaramakrishna Committee had made a fuss. Then I decided that the capital should come up between Vijayawada and Guntur. We named it Amaravati.

Three hospitals and three universities have come forward to set up their units here. When infrastructure comes, it will take off one by one. Once the momentum picks up, the capital will take shape. I want to build one of the best capitals in the world. I can construct the administrative capital by the 2019 elections

yb's feeling: Who wants World Class Capital? Realtors and Industrialists may be pressing for such World Class Capital, so that they can flock on it like flies and mosquitoes on cadavers It is not correct to say that Sivaramakrishna Committee had made a fuss. It is a Committee of Experts. As all the members of the Committee are from outside the State, they can be free of bias. If they have not favoured new Amaravati as Capital for A.P., it may be because the Region is already overpopulated. People of Vijayawada are already living in asbestos/tin sheds on mountain slopes, because they cannot afford to buy a 80 sq.yds. piece of land to build a cottage. There is also a danger of River Krishna becoming a drainage channel for all the filth which the New Capital City generates. Committee might have felt that it will not be prudent to convert fertile lands to concrete forests. Then there is a threat of Kondaviti vAgu floods.

Whether Sivaramakrishna Committee had foreseen it or not, there were clear indications that there will be extremely abnormal real-estate speculation, and land-hoarding, amounting to billions of Rupees. By choosing Amaravati as Capital of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu fell into the trap of Realtors and land-hoarders. M.L.A.s (of all parties), and his own Ministers have not objected to it because they were also eager to buy some land in the Capital Region, in their own name or in the names of their employees, friends and relatives. The Government used the carrot and stick approach to induce the farmers to contribute their lands to the land-pooling. That means, even the farmers of the area have been forced to become real-estate speculators, awaiting for allotment of plots to them in exchange for the land they surrendered, and counting their eggs when they sell the plots for some astronomical values.

ABOUT 3 HOSPITALS & 3 UNIVERSITIES COMING FORWARD

As per the News Reports, the Govt. is going to sell them the lands @ Rs. 80 lacs (8 million per acre), as against the ruling market price of Rs. 5 crore per acre. If the info is correct, A.P. Government will be doing a foolish thing, because the Universities and Hospitals, though are expected to function like Charitable Trusts with no Profit Motive, all over India (or even globally), it is an established fact, that Private Universities and Hospitals work with a clear profit motive. On paper, to the Government which allots land at cheap prices, they give all types of undertakings, to charge poor students and poor patients with velvet gloves, but they never keep their promises. They extract charges and fees at market rates from everybody.

If they are going to function on business lines, all the Private Universities and Hospitals should pay the Market price for land. They should never be given any concessions of any sort. Mr. Naidu can always say that Indian States are competing with one another to attract all these Universities and Hospitals. If A.P. does not give concessions, Telangana State will give. But this argument will not, really, be valid. Business Entities take their location decisions on perceived Medium and Long Term Profitability, which is a variable of numerous factors, not only the factor of land. This is the reason why Volksvagon is making cars in India, instead of in Congo. No Private University or Private Hospital will establish a Commercial Establishment in Mizoram, even if land is given freely. Why? They want to be nearer to their markets. Mizoram is at the tail end of the country. For this reason only, Governments have a duty to establish Public Sector Institutions and Units in remote areas.

What about the criticism that you have ignored local talent and instead opted for Singapore for the capital’s plan, design and construction?

A: You want me to build huts? Singapore has huge expertise and with prefab technology, buildings can be constructed within months. Scientific construction is important. China is also building quickly with prefab. Singapore is well-plann-ed and the most livable city.

yb's feelings: 1. Building 'own' huts is better than, handing over lands to foreign Corporates, and taking warrandahs or bath rooms out of their skyscrapers, in exchange. They will stipulate terms, and you will sign on dotted lines. Or you will stipulate terms, they sign on dotted lines, but never care to honor. If you insist, they will go for international arbitration. Or they will sue in a foreign court quoting some xyz Section. Indian Business HOuses, and some State Governments, PUblic Sector Undertakings, might have learnt some lessons from signing on dotted lines in agreements designed by foreign lawyers. Or they will bring pressure from some Tom-Dick-Harry President/Prime Minister of Europe, America, Canada, ANZ. Giving land to foreigners on lease or sale will be worse than throwing milk-kheer in a sacrificial fire, or feeding a kitten/puppy to a shark/lion. It will never come back.

2. Singapore may have some expertise. But does that mean that India is barren? India is launching satellites for Advanced countries like France. India is making Space Shuttles and Reusable Space Vehicles. Were Tajmahal and Tanjavoor Temple built with expertise from Singapore? Did we sculpt our Ajanta and Ellora caves with technology from Singapore? Did Singapore build Nagarjuna Sagar and Sri Sailam? Are all these constructions unscientific? Is only Singapore construction scientific? If China is building with prefab, India will also build with prefab, or even with more advanced technologies than prefab. If Singapore is well-planned and the most livable city, like Mr. Vijay Mallya, Mr. Naidu can also go to some Singapore or Switzerland and live there. (Mr. Naidu visited Switzerland in recent summer).

In our blogpost No.767 Click to go to 767 , we have seen how a tribal woman climbed the inner wall of a well to fetch a pot of drinking water.

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This type of villages we have aplenty in Andhra Pradesh. A few days back, in Anantapur District, a serpant bit a woman her cottage. The woman, not knowing that it was a deadly poisonous snake which bit her, breast-fed her child. Both the mother and the child died. We should be grateful to Andhrajyothy.Com for publishing this news item: Click to go to Andhra Jyothy dated 3.6.2016.

గుత్తి రూరల్‌, జూన 2 : పాము కాటుకు ఓ మాతృమూర్తి మరణించగా, ఆమె పాలు తాగిన మూడేళ్ల చిన్నారి మృతి చెందాడు. హృదయ విదారకమైన ఈ ఘటన అనంతపురం జిల్లా గుత్తి మండలం కొజ్జేపల్లి గ్రామంలో జరిగింది. ఈ గ్రామానికి చెందిన లింగన్న భార్య చంద్రకళ (30)ను గురువారం తెల్లవారుజామున పాము కాటువేసింది. దీన్ని గమనించని ఆమె.. కాలి పట్టీ గుచ్చుకుని ఉంటుందని భావించి ఇంటి పనులు చేసుకోవడం ప్రారంభించింది. కొద్దిసేపటికి గుండెల్లో నొప్పిగా అనిపించడంతో భర్తకు ఆ విషయం చెప్పింది. అతడు ఆమెను గుత్తి ప్రభుత్వాసుపత్రి తీసుకెళ్లడానికి సిద్ధమయ్యాడు. తిరిగి వచ్చేందుకు సమయం పడుతుందని భావించిన చంద్రకళ.. వంశీకి పాలు తాగించింది. ఆసుపత్రికి వెళ్లగా.. పరీక్షించిన వైద్యులు ఆమెను పాము కాటువేసిందని చెప్పారు. చికిత్స చేస్తుండగానే అమె పరిస్థితి విషమంగా మారింది. పాము కరచిన తర్వాత పిల్లవాడిని పాలు తాగించిన విషయం తెలిసిన బంధువులు వంశీని కూడా గుత్తి ప్రభుత్వాసుపత్రికి తెచ్చారు. చిన్నారి పరిస్థితి విషమంగా ఉండడంతో అనంతపురం తరలించారు. అక్కడ చికిత్స పొందుతూ వంశీ.. గుత్తిలో చంద్రకళ కన్నుమూశారు. అనూహ్యంగా ఒకేరోజు పాముకాటుకు రెండు నిండు ప్రాణాలు బలికావడంతో జీర్ణించుకోలేని కుటుంబసభ్యులు కన్నీటి పర్యంతమయ్యారు.

Approx. Engl: Gooty Rural, dated 2nd June: When a mother bitten by a serpant died, her three year old child who drank her breast-fed milk also died. This heart-rending mishap took place in Kojjepalli village of Gooty Mandal, Anantapur Dt. Chandra Kala (30) w/o Linganna, r/o this village, was bitten by a snake early morning. She didn't notice it. Thinking that ankle's silver chain scratched to her legs, she went to attend her routine domestic chores. After a littlewhile, she felt a pain in heart, and she told her husband. He got ready to take her to the Gooty Govt. Hospital. Thinking that it will take sometime to come back, Chandrakala, breast-fed her son Vamsi. After examining her in hospital, Doctors told her that she was bitten by a snake. While treatment was being given to her, her situation worsened. Relatives having come to know that she breast-fed her son, took Vamsi also to Gooty Govt. Hospital. As the condition of the child also worsened. they shifted the child to Anantapur. While receiving treatment in Anantapur, Vamsi died, and in Gooty, Chandrakala died. In a most unexpected manner, when two full lives were lost, unable to digest the grief, family members were reduced into tears.

Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu can always say that he has taken some Insurance Policy to provide some accident protection to sufferers. Or he may say that he gave ... lacs as compensation to the relatives. But one basic question remains: Mr. Chandrababu Naidu says that he sleeps on a hard surface. Okay, cudos for his simplicity. But, why does he need a Custom-designed bus costing Rs. 55 million? Click to go to The Hindu, purchase of bus. How could he spend one billion Rupees on renovating his office? (inclusive of all costs and expenses) Click to go to TimesofIndia.indiatimes.com . Yet, the accomodation is only RENTED.

I shall try to review the remaining questions and answers of the interview of Mr. Naidu, if I live longer, and priorities do not cascade.

Subject to corrections and deletions. A lot more is to be added. To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.

730 Part 3/10 of the Moribund State of Telugu film industry. Not only Mr. Puri Jagannath, his distributors and producers, but also 10 million Telugu audiences are also being subjected to Rollercoaster rides !

In our Problemsoftelugus post No. 591 , and Problemsoftelugus post No. 613 we have discussed how the Telugu film industry was in a moribund condition in 1941 itself, discussing an article by Shri RARAJU who has correctly identified the extreme dangers involved in paying huge remunerations to Heros and Directors. We, are, now in 2016. Even after 75 years, there is no change in the rash reckless state of affairs.

Supporters of Private Sector and Free Enterprise Capitalism in India, present Private Businesses as a paragons of virtues, and the State Enterprises as dirty turtles. In India we have all the three i.e. the Press, the TV Channels, and the Film Industry, all in Private Sector. What a Great Efficiency we see in Indian Private Sector Media !

The most reputed Surgeon in India, may not charge Rs. 85 million for a surgery. The most reputed lawyer in India, may not charge Rs. 85 million for taking up a case. The President of India, Vice President, Chief Justice of India and his Associate Judges, Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers, Lok Sabha Speaker, nobody gets an annual salary of Rs. 85 million. But, surprisingly, one Telugu film director by name Mr. Puri Jagannath, takes Rs. 85 million for handling a film. The Telugu film industry is not the largest film industry or the film market in India. The first rank in India goes to Bollywood, i.e. the film Industry of Mumbai, Hindi films.

If Rs. 85 million is the remuneration taken by a Telugu film director, what will be the remuneration taken by a Top Hindi film Director? Among Bollywood Heros, it is said that Mr. Salman Khan charges Rs. 600 million, approx. a million U.S. Dollars. All these crores and millions for shoddy, shabby films.

Recently, there is a commotion as Mr. Puri Jagannath, the Rs. 85 million Director, has reported to the Police that he has been attacked by a batch of Film Distributors at his home, demanding compensation for the flopped Telugu film named Loafer.

TheHindu.Com , dated 17th Dec. 2015, published an interview with Mr. Puri Jagannath, the Director of the ill-fated film Loafer, which is worth reading.

A snapshot of "TheHindu.com" 's observation, and the words of Mr. Puri Jagannath are worth studying:

"...Director Puri Jagannadh rises like a phoenix after every two flops; a rollercoaster ride is a moderate term to describe his life. In a chat with MetroPlus on the eve of the release of Loafer, he says, “I believe I’m in a war zone. Every day I am fighting with myself, people and situations. I don’t believe God has been kind to me, he doesn’t think of us at all. From the seventh class onwards I stopped praying. Earlier I would go to Nagara Sankeerthanalu, poojalu and vrathams wherever they were held.yekkada ye vratham ayina nenu vellevadini God is there but pattinchukodu (he doesn’t bother). ...”

Supporters of Mr. Puri Jagannath blamed the Tamil Star Mr. Rajini Kanth, for starting a culture of artists compensating film distributors, when films fail.

The argument of Mr. Puri Jagannath seems to be that the Distributors have to approach the Producers of the films for compensation, and not their Directors.

The Film Distributors involved claim innocence, and they seem to want to sue Mr. Jagannath for defamation.

Assuming that film direction is an intellectual occupation or profession, if we compare a doctor, an advocate with the Film Director, what sort of analyses we can make? Surgeons and Doctors do not refund fees, when patients die. Advocates do not refund fees, when the clients lose cases. Then how is it that Film Distributors want part refund of Director's Fees?

In Traditional theory of Capitalism, Profit is regarded as a reward for bearing risk. Among the four factors of production i.e. Land, Labor, Capital and Organisation, the Land gets rent, Labor gets wages, Capital gets interest, and the Organisation i.e. Management -in Film industry the Film Producers and the Distributors gets the Profits. As Profit is the reward for taking risk, Risk should also be borne between the Producers and the Distributors, in agreed proportions. Thus, legally, Mr. Jagannath, comes under Labor (though he takes Rs. 8.5 crore), and is not expected to share profits or losses, unless there is a separate express arrangement for that.

Then, should the case of Film Distributors for some relief from the Diector who charges Rs. 8.5 crore, become absolutely hopeless. There are two ways.

First, the Distributors can prove with some evidence, that there is an implied custom which has emerged in Telugu film Industry , -the custom of artists also sharing the losses and risks.

Second, the Distributors can prove that the Director failed to exercise reasonable diligence and skills in discharging his job. Then, what should be the level of "reasonableness of skills" ? What should be the reasonableness of diligence? Is there any negligence on his part? One test which can be made to gauge this lack of required level of diligence can be: "Would he have exercised the same diligence and skill, if he himself were the producer and the Distributor" ?.

Main problem is Film industries are rotten all over the World right from Hollywood to Vollywood (Visakhapatnam Film Industry). If Film Distributors of Loafer were really honest, they can have the courage to show that they were prepared to pay only Rs. 1 crore, but they were induced to pay Rs. 8.5 crore by misrepresentations or false representations. But it may not be the case factually. Anything may happen. The Distributors in their craze might have even offered Rs. 10.5 crore, but Mr. Jagannath might have reduced it to Rs. 8.5 crore, giving a concession of Rs. 2 crore.

This blog post is not a post mortem of the reported failure of Loafer. We are not going to write from a hind sight of failure of X film or Y Film. This is because, 90% of Telugu films fail, for myriad reasons. The burning crucial question is how the Telugu, Tamil, HIndi, ... Indian Film Industries can be nursed back to their natural health?

Distribution of Films involve commercial risks. There is a big science of Economics, called "Risk Management" about which the MBAs of IIMs are expected to know much. Do Film Distributors maintain knowledgeable staff for Risk Prediction, Risk Measurement, Predictive quantification of Risk losses ? No. The Film Distributors take risks from their past experience, if they have any, and depend on their hunches. The dividing line between gambling, and working on hunches, is very thin.

At least theoretically, the Film Producers and Film Distributors can incorporate a Film Risk Insurance Company, as a Commercial Venture, to share risks. Reason: General Insurers in India, both Private Sector and Public Sector may not come forward to provide Commercial Risk Insurance cover to Indian films. We can't blame them.

It is reported that Mr. Puri Jagannath has gone to Singapore, to work on a script. What is the need to work a script in Singapore?

It has become a fashion for Telugu Film Directors to shoot films abroad, whether the storyline requires it or not. The best example for this craze can be seen in case of Bahubali directed by Shri Rajmouli, who went to Bulgaria for a 25 day shooting. What Bahubali has got to do with Bulgaria? The ostensible explanation: Strike by Telugu film federation employees. Interruptions by rains.

In case of Loafer, a large part of the film was said to have been shot in Jaisalmer. If desert-type locations are required, the film could have been shot in Anantapur Dt., somewhere near Madakasira or Rayachoti or Kalyanadurgam. Alternatively, the Loafer could have been shot somewhere near Atchampet, in Mahaboobnagar District. Why should everybody stand in queue in Jaipur / Jaisalmer / Bharatpur / Udaypur ? Shooting in Madakasira or Atchampeta, could have generated some local employment, while reducing the budget of the film from Crores to Lakhs.

Bahubali collecting big bucks from innocent addicted spectators by jacking up prices (Rs. 1,500 per ticket) and cornering large number of theatres across the two States, does not justify its extravagance. Simply, they have wasted the resources of the country.

It is very disheartening to note that criminals have entered the film production, film distribution, film exhibition businesses.

SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF CAPITALIM

Telugu audience have to discourage huge budget films which shot abroad, and films which indulge in wasteful expenses.

Telugu audience should give preference insist on affordable fares in theatres. Only low budget films can do it. How can a Director who charges Rs. 85 million for his about six months work, can produce a low budget film? How can he help in reduction of Theatre ticket prices?

In respect of controlling film production expenses, according to my understanding, Late N.T. Rama Rao (& his brother Trivikrama Rao), Late Nagi Reddy and ChakrapANi used to be very planned and, effective and efficient.



Subject to corrections and deletions. To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.