Film actor and producer R. Narayana Murthy has demanded that the Central government repeal the three ‘controversial’ farm laws brought into force recently, saying that the new legislation are against the interests of the farming community and and the national food security.
At a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Narayana Murthy announed that his latest venture ‘Rythe Raju’ would be released on August 15.
Referring to the farm laws, Mr. Narayana Murthy said protecting marketyards and mandis was a duty of the government as it would protect the farmers’ interest by ensuring them remunerative prices for their produce.
Swaminathan report
He lamented that the NDA government had ‘failed in keeping its word on implementation of the recommendation given by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan.
Mr. Narayana Murthy is known for films such as ‘Ardharatri Swaatantryam’, ‘Adavi Diviteelu’, ‘Laal Salaam’, ‘Dandora’, ‘Erra Sainyam’, ‘Cheemala Dandu’, ‘Dalam’, ‘Cheekati Suryudu’. ‘Rythe Raju’ is about the travails of the farming community which is suffering due to lack of governmental support in ensuring Minimum Support Price for farm produces or purchasing produces on time to stop the fleecing by traders and middlemen, he said.
“These three farm laws will push the farming community into penury and turn the small landholders into farm labourers with large extents of lands falling in the hands of corporate companies,” Mr. Narayana Murthy said.
OTT platforms
Referring to cinema, he said watching a movie in a theater is the sole entertainment for the majority of Indians and it is the cheapest form available right now. “The cinema hall should be opened with stringent COVID-19 guidelines as 80% of the Indian population cannot afford the subscibe to over-the-top (OTT) platforms,” he said.
The parallel cinema needs to reach to audience and theaters provide a good platform for them, he opined.
