The Telangana High Court on Tuesday questioned the state government’s decision to permit enhanced ticket prices for the upcoming Telugu film ‘The Paradise’, observing that the September 20 memo did not record reasons for the hike and was issued too close to the film’s release.
Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar was hearing a contempt petition challenging the government memo that allowed higher ticket rates for the Nani-starrer, scheduled for theatrical release on September 24.
What the Court Observed
The Court noted that the memo, issued on September 20, permitted:
A special show on September 23 at 6:30 p.m. with tickets priced at ₹500 (inclusive of GST).
Enhanced rates at theatres from September 24 to October 3.
Justice Shravan Kumar observed that the memo merely referred to the relevant government order but failed to disclose any reasons justifying the increase, as required under the applicable clauses. The Court further pointed out that the permission was granted just days before the enhanced prices were to take effect, leaving virtually no opportunity for interested persons to approach the authorities under Section 7-A of the Telangana Cinemas (Regulation) Act.
The Court remarked that the government ought to have placed the decision in the public domain sufficiently in advance, instead of issuing the permission immediately before the film’s release. It also noted a pattern of similar last-minute approaches in other pending matters concerning movie ticket price hikes.
Prima facie, the Court held that the government had violated its earlier directions requiring advance disclosure of decisions on ticket price enhancements.