Telangana HC orders movie ticket price revisions to be announced 90 days in advance
Responding to a plea challenging the hike, the court issued a contempt notice to CV Anand, the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, for lack of oversight from the department
By - Newsmeter Network
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Hyderabad: Regarding the hike in movie ticket prices, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday ordered that any future decisions regarding movie ticket price revisions must be finalised and announced at least 90 days in advance of the film’s release date.
Responding to a plea challenging the hike, the court issued a contempt notice to CV Anand, the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, for lack of oversight from the department while approving the movie ticket price hike.
Plea claims Home Department granted hike arbitrarily
The HC Single Bench, presided over by Justice NV Shravan Kumar, heard a writ petition filed by Hyderabad-based advocate Dachepally Chandra Babu, challenging the recent approval of movie ticket price hikes for the Telugu film ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’, starring Chiranjeevi.
The petitioner contended that the State of Telangana’s Department of Home, through its Principal Secretary, granted the price escalation arbitrarily without verifying the film’s specific budget, source of funds or income and expenditure statements.
‘Violation of right to information’
The plea argued that such approvals, lacking a supporting affidavit from the moviemakers, constitute a violation of the right to information for the general audience and stakeholders, further describing the decision-making process as irrational and opaque.
In a stern judicial response, the High Court issued a suo motu contempt notice against CV Anand, the Principal Secretary of the Home Department.
Court order regarding price hike was ignored
This action stems from the issuance of the price hike order on January 8, which the court noted was done without informing the bench during a related hearing on January 9, involving the film ‘Raja Saab’.
During that prior proceeding, the court had explicitly directed the state not to issue such hike orders except in strict accordance with the law.
The court viewed the subsequent availability of the hike for ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’ on January 10 as a blatant disregard for judicial oversight and an attempt to bypass standing legal observations.
‘No movie ticket price hike without informing public in advance’
Establishing a new regulatory precedent to curb 11-hour price surges, Justice NV Shravan Kumar mandated a strict 90-day advance notice for the hike in movie ticket prices.
The court emphasised that this timeframe is a mandate under the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act 1955, designed to ensure transparency and prevent sudden financial burdens on the public.
Applications for price hike must contain detailed financial information
Furthermore, the court indicated that the Home Department must ensure future applications for hikes are accompanied by detailed financial disclosures, including total specific budgets and verified affidavits of expenditure, to maintain accountability within the film exhibition industry.
