In a significant development for the Telugu film industry, the Telangana High Court has provided crucial clarification regarding the pricing of cinema tickets for the upcoming Sankranti festival releases. A division bench has explicitly stated that a previous court order restricting ticket price hikes does not apply to two major upcoming films.
Court's Clarification on Ticket Pricing
A division bench comprising Justices Moushumi Bhattacharya and Gadi Praveen Kumar made this clarification on Wednesday. The bench was hearing appeals filed by the producers of the movies 'Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu' and 'Raja Saab'. These filmmakers had approached the court seeking a modification of an order passed on December 9, which had barred an increase in movie ticket prices.
The judges carefully examined the scope of the earlier directive issued by a single judge. They noted a critical limitation: the December 9 order was specifically limited to the movies 'OG', 'Game Changer', and 'Pushpa-2: The Rule'. Consequently, the restriction did not automatically extend to the two Sankranti releases currently before the court.
Path Open for Producers' Representation
While the division bench declined to completely set aside the earlier single-judge order, it opened a legal pathway for the producers. The bench permitted the Special Chief Secretary of the Home Department – who is the competent authority in such matters – to consider the formal representations from the film producers.
These representations seek permission for a hike in ticket prices for their films. The court directed that the authority must pass orders on these requests strictly in accordance with the law.
During the court proceedings, the government pleader for the home department, Mahesh Raje, presented an argument. He contended that the Home Secretary was effectively prevented from granting any such permission due to the existence of the single-judge order from December. The division bench's clarification now removes this perceived legal obstacle for the two specific films.
Implications for the Sankranti Box Office
This ruling is a major relief for the producers of 'Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu' and 'Raja Saab'. The Sankranti season is one of the most lucrative periods for the Telugu film industry, and the ability to potentially charge premium ticket prices is crucial for box office revenue and recovery of high production costs.
The court has effectively distinguished between different sets of films, applying the price freeze only to the ones named in the original December order. This legal nuance allows the upcoming festival releases to have their pricing petitions evaluated on their own merits by the administrative authority.
The final decision now rests with the office of the Special Chief Secretary of the Home Department. The producers will await the outcome of their representations, hoping for a favorable decision that could impact their films' commercial performance during the highly competitive Sankranti season.
