The backlash that arose when the Andhra Pradesh government released the GO NO. 35, announcing that the prices of film tickets would now be dictated by the government, that all tickets would have to be bought via an online platform run by the government, and that no permissions would be given for any extra, special and benefit shows, is nothing new.
Many people from Tollywood requested the AP government to reconsider its decision, and several theatre owners even filed a petition against the government in the AP High Court. The AP High Court even suspended GO No. 35, but the AP government seems not to be interested in abiding by the HC’s order, as it continues to implement its GO.
As a result, several theatre owners are said to have decided to shut down their theatres, as they are running into losses. While they might be able to recover their investments for Akhanda, the same cannot be said for Pushpa. In fact, several theatre owners are said to be incurring greater losses than during covid lockdown. If the AP government continues to be stringent about its decision, then chances are that the exhibition industry in AP might soon choose to go out of business.