The Telangana High Court today issued significant directives regarding film screenings in the State, denying permission for benefit shows, premiere shows and special screenings.
The court also ruled that children below 16 years should be allowed to view all shows, and scheduled the next hearing for March 17.
The State government had earlier decided not to permit ticket price hikes for benefit shows in the wake of events surrounding the premiere of actor Allu Arjun's
Pushpa 2. However, the government had granted approval for a ticket price increase for actor Ram Charan's
Game Changer. A petition challenging this decision was subsequently filed in the High Court.
During the hearing, the petitioner brought to the court's notice the issue of increased movie ticket rates. In response, the government's counsel said that the previously granted permission for the price hike had been revoked.
After considering arguments from both sides, the court directed the government to adhere to the Cinematograph Act and prohibit any screenings between 1:30 am and 8:40 am. It also directed that benefit and special shows not be permitted, citing audience safety as a primary concern. The bench said that it was inappropriate for producers to recover exorbitant production costs by burdening audiences with high ticket prices.