Cinemas in Telangana get govt nod to hike ticket rates

HYDERABAD: The government has allowed cinema theatres to increase ticket rates, and to charge fixed uniform prices across the state. The previous method had variable ticket prices based on location of the theatre.

For AC theatres, the minimum ticket price will be Rs 50 and maximum Rs 150 (excluding GST), according to the Government Order (GO) 120 which listed the hiked rates. At multiplexes, the minimum price is Rs 100 and maximum Rs 250 (excluding GST).

AC theatres are allowed to collect a maintenance charge of Rs 5 per ticket and non-AC theatres Rs 3 per ticket. All ticket rates are excluding GST which will be added at the applicable rates.

For non-AC theatres, the minimum price is Rs 30 and maximum Rs 70. For recliner seats in single screen theatres, the maximum price will be Rs 200.

For special IMax/ large screen single theatre, the maximum price was fixed at Rs 250. For recliner seats in multiplexes, the maximum price will be Rs 300.

"The theatres should print the rates of admission of tickets, clearly indicating GST, maintenance charges as applicable and the online charges separately on all tickets. All the district collectors and licensing authorities and all the commissioners of police in Telangana state concerned shall take further necessary action accordingly in these orders," said the GO 120 issued by Ravi Gupta, principal secretary, home department.

Ticket rates were hiked on April 26, 2013, in undivided Andhra Pradesh but the order was struck down by the combined High Court of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on October 31, 2016.

The state government, on the directions of the court, set up a six-member committee to adjudicate the issue on February 28, 2017. Based on its committee, the government issued GO 75 on June 23, 2017, enhancing ticket prices. This was kept in abeyance on June 30, 2017, due to administrative reasons.

Later, the government convened several meetings with officials and representatives of the film industry to discuss ticket prices. It finally issued GO 120 on Tuesday (December 21, 2021) enhancing ticket prices which came to light on Friday.

In the previous variable ticket pricing method, the government allowed theatres to fix prices that can vary between Rs 40 to Rs 300 in municipal corporations and Rs 30 and Rs 80 in municipalities. In nagar panchayats and gram panchayats, the ticket costs varied between Rs 15 and Rs 70 in the previous system.