A new Andhra Pradesh Government Order (GO) was issued on Monday with revised movie ticket prices, and some other benefits, following the nearly year-long tussle between the Telugu film industry and the state government over the latter’s regulation of theatre ticket pricing and operation.
The AP ticket price issue began in April 2021, when the state government capped the ticket prices that could be charged at both multiplexes and single-screen theatres. Ever since, the Telugu film industry has been appealing to the government to increase the allowed prices, and a delegate of bigwigs had also recently met the state’s chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss this.
The new order on Monday offers some relief to the Telugu cinema industry in this respect.
The new GO classifies theatres as non-A/C theatres, A/C or air-cooled theatres, special theatres, and multiplexes. Non-AC theatres in gram panchayats can charge Rs 20 for non-premium seats and Rs 40 for premium ones; in municipalities, they can charge Rs 30 (non-premium) and Rs 50 (premium); and Rs 40 (non-premium) and Rs 60 (premium) in municipal corporations. Air-conditioned/air-cooled theatres can charge Rs 50 and Rs 70 in gram panchayats; Rs 60 and Rs 80 in municipalities; and Rs 70 and Rs 100 in municipal corporations.
Multiplexes tickets, meanwhile, are allowed to charge Rs 100-250, depending on the location and whether they have recliner seats.
The government is also introducing a category of ‘Special Theatres’ which are stand-alone theatres that provide “cinematic experience far superior to AC theatres” and on par with multiplexes, including digital facilities, infrastructure, and high-end seats. A district-level committee will be set up to identify such theatres, which can then charge Rs 70, 80, and 100 in non-premium category in gram panchayat, municipality and municipal corporations, respectively, and Rs 70, 100, 125 under the respective premium categories.
All theatres must reserve 25% of their seating for the non-premium category “to enable cinematic experience” for those who cannot afford the premium ticket prices. The GO also states that two years will be granted for air-cooled theatres to switch to air conditioners, failing which, they will only be allowed to charge non-AC rates thereafter.
Apart from raising the ticket prices, the Telugu film industry had also appealed to the AP government to permit running five shows a day in theatres, as opposed to the current four. As per the new GO, theatres in Andhra Pradesh can now run five shows, on the condition that one of the shows between 11 am and 9 pm be reserved for small-budget films, on any day, including festivals, when there is a low-budget release. The GO states that this is being done in order to “promote” small-budget films, which are defined as those made with a production cost less than Rs 20 crore, including remuneration of the cast.
The GO also notes that in the case of ‘super high-budget’ films, defined as those whose production cost is over Rs 100 crore (excluding remuneration of artists and directors), the government will notify special rates for a period of 10 days. However, this will be done on a case-by-case basis and on condition that at least 20% of the film is shot in Andhra Pradesh.
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It is to be noted that this new order comes ahead of the scheduled release of big-budget films such as Radhe Shyam and RRR in the coming weeks.
Actor Chiranjeevi, whose film Acharya is one of the upcoming biggies (slated for release on April 29), had initiated the most recent round of discussions with the state government. He welcomed the order and thanked the AP chief minister for supporting small films.