Radhe Shyam stars Prabhas. The Andhra Pradesh government has issued a new order revising the low-cap on movie ticket prices. The previous order by the government had set the ticket prices at some theatres in gram panchayat areas as low as Rs 5. The government’s regulations added to the woes of the film industry which is still reeling under the losses incurred by coronavirus-induced lockdown.
After months of negotiations and discussions, the government has increased the base ticket price across different categories of theatres. However, the new order comes with a bunch of conditions. The new rates are exclusive of GST but inclusive of theatre maintenance charges (Rs 3 for non-AC, Rs 5 for AC) and they also include the fee for online ticketing services.
Conditions apply
Meanwhile, the government has asked theatres to reserve 25 per cent of the total seats under the “non-premium category” and it will be sold to people who otherwise can’t afford premium movie-watching experiences. The order also mentions that the government will allow theatres to increase the price of a movie ticket than what is stipulated by the state, if the cost of the production of a movie, excluding the pay of the lead actors, exceeds Rs 100 crore. Such movies will be considered as “super high budget movies” and theatres will be allowed to increase the ticket prices over and above the existing rates. But, the government will have the final say in that too. The new rates will have to be approved by the state and theatres will be allowed to charge them for only 10 days from the release of a movie, which falls under the category of “super high budget films”. Furthermore, to avail this exception completely, the big-budget movies should have at least completed 20 percent of their shooting in Andhra Pradesh.
For instance, AndhraBoxOffice.com reported that following the new guidelines, the makers of Radhe Shyam have requested the government to allow theatres to charge Rs 100 extra on top of the revised ticket prices, given the budget of the movie is said to be over Rs 300 crore. And the government’s permission on the same is awaited.
It is said that the government may allow theatres to charge Rs 50 more on ticket prices for Radhe Shyam. And the bookings for the movie in the state are likely to open only after getting the required clearance on the rates from the government.
In effect, filmmakers and theatre owners will have to be in constant negotiation with the government over ticket prices from here on.
Pawan Kalyan in and as Bheemla Nayak. New ticket prices
The government has also allowed theatres to run five shows a day but with a rider. The theatres should reserve one show between 11 am and 9 pm for small-budget movies, irrespective of holidays or the release of big hero movies.
At multiplexes in municipal corporation areas, earlier the minimum ticket price was fixed at Rs 75 and maximum ticket price was fixed at Rs 250. Under the new order, the entry-level ticket price is fixed at Rs 125, while the maximum price remains the same. The minimum ticket cost for AC theatres is now Rs 70 and the maximum ticket price is set at Rs 100. The minimum ticket prices for non-AC theatres in the cities are now fixed at Rs 40, which is an improvement from Rs 20. And the maximum ticket price remains Rs 60 in non-AC theatres.
In gram panchayat areas, the economy class ticket prices were fixed at Rs 5 in non-AC theatres. But, under the new order, the same theatres will be allowed to increase the ticket price to Rs 20 and it can go up to Rs 40 as opposed to Rs 15 in the past. The minimum price for AC theatres is set at Rs 50 and the maximum price is capped at Rs 70 as opposed to Rs 20. The ticket prices at multiplex screens in rural areas will now begin at Rs 100 as opposed to Rs 30. And these premium screens can charge up to Rs 250 as opposed to Rs 80 in the past.
AP : In a Big Disappointment to Tollywood, state caps prices at ₹125+GST for Single Screens & ₹150+GST for Multiplexes in Cities. Gives Relief to B &C Centres from unsustainable prices. https://t.co/C2ckqKs07y pic.twitter.com/3b4jxAdv3z
— AndhraBoxOffice.Com (@AndhraBoxOffice) March 7, 2022
The relief from the government comes as a much-needed break for the Telugu film industry. It is worth noting that, owing to low ticket prices fixed by the state, movies such as Akhanda, Pushpa: The Rise and Bheemla Nayak struggled to make profits in Andhra Pradesh despite running to packed houses for days.
The improved ticket prices will benefit Radhe Shyam, starring Prabhas, which is due in cinemas this Friday. “I would like to thank the CM of AP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy garu, Perni Nani garu for understanding the concerns of the Telugu Film fraternity and for supporting us through the new revised ticket prices,” wrote Prabhas on his Facebook page.
Earlier, the Telugu film industry heaped praise on superstar Chiranjeevi for his dogged efforts to convince the AP government to reconsider its stance and increase the ticket prices in the state.
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