The new ticket rate G.O. issued by the Revanth Reddy government has come as a rude shock to the trade and moviegoers in Telangana. The government has reclassified theatres and fixed the ticket rates for various classes.
Accordingly, single screens are permitted to price tickets at up to Rs. 300 (incl. GST) if those theatres have facilities such as Dolby 7.1 or higher and 2K/4K projection. More than half of the single screens in the state and about two-thirds of Hyderabad’s single screens qualify as Special Theatres, meaning they can charge Rs. 300.
If this is implemented by theatres and distributors, cinema-going will become more expensive for audiences, ultimately affecting footfalls. Still, many prefer single screens mainly because of their affordable prices compared to high-end plexes.
With the GO in place, if single screens are priced on par with multiplexes, it could deliver a major jolt to the industry. It remains to be seen how this complicated scenario will be handled by the industry and its bigwigs.
