Ticket Price Changes Could Impact Balayya, Ram Charan Films

Hyderabad:The government's decision to stop benefit shows of films and bar ticket price hikes will likely affect several upcoming big-budget films like Ram Charan starrer ‘Game Changer’, Balakrishna’s ‘Daaku Maharaaj’ and Venkatesh’s ‘Sankranthiki Vastunnam’.

While the government’s move is aimed at preventing fatal incidents and regulating prices, it has raised concerns among filmmakers and producers about its impact on box-office collections of high-budget blockbusters.

Cinematography minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy announced a sweeping ‘ban’ on benefit shows following the death of a 39-year-old housewife at Sandhya theatre during the Pushpa-2 special screening on December 6. He reiterated it on the floor of the house on Saturday, saying that the government wants to make watching cinema in theatres more affordable and safe for audiences.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Exhibitors’ Association has welcomed the move. Its chairman Vijender Reddy, speaking to Deccan Chronicle, explained how fluctuating ticket prices confuse and inconvenience audiences, particularly middle-class individuals and students, who constitute the majority among movie-goers.

“In the first three to four days after a release, middle-class individuals, students and fans who do small jobs often watch movies. Charging them more is unfortunate,” he added.

He also said that the association has appealed to Dil Raju, chairman of the Telangana State Film Development Corporation, to intervene and ensure that ticket prices do not pinch the pockets of the public.

A theatre owner from Miryalaguda explained how higher ticket prices can never benefit anyone.

“Even with higher collections, theatres don’t gain much. For example, with normal ticket prices, we get `15,000 towards rent. When prices are hiked, distributors pressure us to reduce rentals, so in the end we don’t make any extra money,” he said.

Opposing the government's move, producer Hemath Madhukar said, “There are many businesses that set their own prices, and we should have the same right. The government made this decision because of the stampede, but it will affect our upcoming films, especially big-budget ones.”

Incidentally, many recent movies from Tollywood have been made with budgets ranging from `200 crore to `400 crore, including ‘Devara: Part 1’; ‘Guntur Kaaram’; ‘Salaar’ and ‘Game Changer’. Many industry pundits are worried whether film makers can get their money back, let alone earning a profit.

Madhukar said that the government should focus on reducing the high prices of food sold inside theatres. Sankranti has always been a hot season for Tollywood films as many film are lined up for release around Sankranti for an ‘auspicious’ start.

Experts state that the government’s decision could create financial challenges for filmmakers, while from the film fraternity are worried that this policy will dent the success prospects of large-scale projects into the future.