The Telangana government recently announced that special shows for movies will no longer be permitted, and ticket prices will not be increased. This announcement was made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. In this context, the Telangana Exhibitors’ Association held a press conference on Monday at the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce office. The event was attended by Telangana Exhibitors’ Association Chairman Vijender Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Exhibitors Sector Chairman T.S. Ram Prasad, Telangana Exhibitors’ Association Secretary Bala Govind Raj, Ongole Exhibitor Gorantla Veerinaidu, Telangana Film Chamber EC Member and Distributor Satyanarayana Goud, among others. During the event,
Telangana Exhibitors’ Association Chairman Vijender Reddy stated, “Increasing movie ticket prices creates confusion among audiences. It has come to our attention that people believe even regular movies are being charged at higher rates. Different rates for different movies are causing inconvenience to the viewers. In the first three to four days after release, middle-class individuals, students, and fans who do small jobs often watch movies. Charging them higher ticket prices is unfortunate. Recently, we met with Dil Raju to suggest fixing ticket prices at a standard rate. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also emphasized the same point recently, and we welcome his decision. Additionally, Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has provided more clarity on this matter, and we extend our gratitude to him as well. Audiences often do not closely follow government orders (GOs) that increase ticket rates, and they assume the high rates continue. This misunderstanding has been affecting movie collections. In a recent meeting at the Telugu Film Chamber, it was agreed that increasing ticket prices is causing trouble for the audience. The decision by Revanth Reddy to not increase ticket prices has revived the theatre business. If ticket prices remain fixed and affordable, more people will watch and support movies. On this occasion, we express our heartfelt thanks to the Chief Minister and the Cinematography Minister,” he concluded.
Andhra Pradesh Exhibitors Sector Chairman T.S. Ram Prasad stated, “The Telangana government’s announcement to not increase ticket prices in the coming days is a positive step for the film industry and audiences. We are advocating against benefit shows and ticket price hikes. 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 to avoid benefit shows and control ticket price hikes. Increasing ticket prices only burdens the audience and ultimately harms theatres rather than benefiting them. Such actions negatively impact medium-budget films as they fail to generate sufficient collections. We request that the Andhra Pradesh government implement a policy similar to the one adopted by the Telangana government,” he concluded.
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, exclaiming, ‘Such a high rate!’ We believe this discouraged many from coming to theatres. There were instances where audiences were unclear about ticket prices, leading to their hesitation. Theatre owners have also discussed such scenarios. We feel a decision needs to be taken by both chambers to address this issue. Fixing ticket prices, as decided in Telangana, is a welcome development. Producers should also consider how to release movies across more theatres effectively. This approach could benefit producers as well,” he said.
