Telangana High Court Upholds 90 Days Rule For Ticket Hikes

The Telangana High Court has upheld a single judge bench's interim order directing the state government to notify proposed movie Ticket Price hikes at least 90 days prior to a film's release. This ruling came in response to an appeal filed by M/s Shine Screens India LLP, producers of the Chiranjeevi-starrer Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, challenging the interim order.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G. M. Mohiuddin, observed that the interim order had not affected the release of the film and granted liberty to all parties to raise their arguments in the ongoing writ petition. The court requested the writ court to hear the matter expeditiously after completion of pleadings.

The ruling is seen as a significant development in regulating movie Ticket Price hikes in Telangana. The single-judge bench had directed the state government to place any decision regarding Ticket Price hikes at least 90 days before a film's release, as mandated under Section 7A of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act, 1955. This aims to allow stakeholders, including the audience, sufficient time to seek a review of such decisions.

The producers had argued that enforcing a strict 90-day rule would adversely impact them, particularly when price revisions are driven by financial considerations. However, the division bench reiterated that all issues raised by the appellant can be adequately examined by the writ court.