Telangana CM rules out ticket price hike, single screen theaters applaud decision
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's decision to rule out a hike in ticket prices in Telangana has been met with relief from over 300 single-screen theaters in the state. Vijayender Reddy, president of the Telangana Controllers and Exhibitors Association, welcomed the move, stating, “Ticket hikes have devastated hundreds of single screens, and we are happy that the Chief Minister has ruled out further increases.” He explained that the surge in ticket prices had caused audiences to avoid theaters, putting theaters in financial distress.
Reddy further urged the state government to set ticket prices between Rs 100 and Rs 200 (or Rs 75 to Rs 175) for two classes, instead of the inflated prices ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 600 for blockbuster films. “Some filmmakers receive special government orders (GOs) to hike ticket prices for a few days, which leads to inflated prices for star-studded movies, scaring away audiences. We even organized a partial bandh a few months ago to restore single screens, as many theaters are now operating at a loss, some even locking their doors and canceling shows with fewer than ten viewers,” he said.
Reddy criticized the previous government for setting the same ticket rates for theaters across rural and urban areas. He questioned the fairness of applying the same ticket price to the income of a rickshaw puller in a village and an IT employee in the city. “How can we equate the income of a rickshaw puller to an IT employee and fix the same rates?” he asked.
The association has also appealed to Dil Raju, the chairman of the Telangana State Film Development Corporation, to intervene and stop ticket hikes, making films more affordable for the public.
Reddy pointed out that the misconception that theaters benefit from higher ticket rates was false. “Even with higher collections, we don’t gain much. For instance, we receive Rs 15,000 rent for four shows out of Rs 45,000 collections on normal ticket rates. With hiked prices, the distributor pressure to lower rentals means we don’t see any additional benefit,” he explained.
To address declining footfalls, many single screens are considering reducing their seating capacity from 1,200 to 400, to make room for shopping complexes or food courts, ensuring their survival despite ongoing challenges.
