Recently, the Telangana government led by Revanth Reddy announced that they will no longer allow special shows and give permission for ticket rate hikes. Revanth Reddy along with Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, made the announcement in the assembly. In this context, the Telangana Exhibitors’ Association held a press conference on Monday at the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce office.
Association chairman Vijeynder Reddy said, “High ticket prices are being charged even for regular movies. Different rates for different movies are causing inconvenience to the audience. In the first three to four days, middle-class people, students, and fans who do small jobs watch movies. Charging them at a high price is unfortunate. We want a standard rate and met Dil Raju regarding the same. CM Garu emphasized the same point, and we welcome his decision.”
Vijeynder Reddy added, “Audiences often do not closely follow government orders (GOs) that increase ticket rates, and they assume the high rates will continue. This misunderstanding has been affecting movie collections. Revanth Reddy’s decision not to increase ticket prices will revive the theatre business. If ticket prices remain fixed and affordable, more people will watch and support movies. We express our thanks to the Telangana government.”
Andhra Pradesh Exhibitors Sector Chairman T.S. Ram Prasad said the Telangana government’s decision is a positive step for the film industry and audiences. He said, “Some producers claim to have spent heavily on their films and demand higher ticket prices, which is reducing audience turnout in theatres and impacting collections. We believe that similar to Telangana’s decision, measures should be taken in Andhra Pradesh.”
Telangana Exhibitors’ Association Secretary Bala Govind Raj stated, “For the past three to four years, we have been observing the confusion caused by increasing ticket prices, and now it has reached its peak. When ticket prices were raised to ₹1,000, audiences were shocked. Theatre owners have also discussed such scenarios. We feel a decision needs to be taken by both chambers to address this issue.”
The event was also attended by Ongole Exhibitor Gorantla Veerinaidu, Telangana Film Chamber EC Member, and Distributor Satyanarayana Goud, among others.
