T’gana HC declines plea against ticket price hike for latest Chiranjeevi-starrer

The Telangana high court on Saturday refused to entertain a house motion petition by advocate Vijay Gopal seeking a cancellation of the hike to ticket prices for the film Mana Sankara Varaprasad Garu, starring actor Chiranjeevi, scheduled for release on January 12, said lawyers familiar with court proceedings.

They added that the high court asked the advocate to file a fresh petition on January 19, after the Sankranti festival.

The development came a day after the high court cancelled a similar hike in ticket prices for Prabhas-starrer Raja Saab, and also reprimanded the state government over a lack of consistent policy frameworks on film ticket prices and allowing hikes on a film-to-film basis.

The court expressed displeasure over the state’s approach, questioning whether such repeated relaxations serve public interest and cautioning the government against converting cinema into a luxury

On Friday, the state government issued orders allowing a special paid premiere show for Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu between 8 pm and 10 pm on January 11, with tickets priced at ₹600, including GST.

Further, from January 12, the government permitted theatres to increase ticket prices for a period of seven days—by ₹50 (including GST) in single-screen theatres and by ₹100 (including GST) in multiplexes.

Meanwhile, Telangana cinematography minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Saturday categorically said he had neither given permission in the past nor was giving approval now for any increase in movie ticket prices in the state.

“I have stopped paying attention to the film industry. I have been repeatedly telling them not to come to me seeking permission for benefit shows or ticket price hikes, especially after Pushpa 2, Komatireddy said, adding that he had no connection with cinema ticket rates and benefit shows.He clarified that no files related to the recent film releases, upcoming releases, or Sankranti films had reached his office.