Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has taken a strong stand on what many cinema-goers have been complaining about for years—exorbitant prices of food and tickets in theatres. In a move that’s already creating a buzz in the Telugu film industry and among the public, Kalyan has ordered reforms to regulate ticket and refreshment pricing across the state.
Pawan raised concerns about overpriced popcorn, drinks, and bottled water sold at theatres. He directed government officials to monitor and maintain fair pricing and quality standards. “Government departments must perform their duties diligently, ensuring fair practices in pricing and operations,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), as briefed by Cinematography Minister K Durgesh.
He also pointed out monopolistic practices by multiplex chains and certain single-screen theatres.
The government has now ordered a detailed investigation into such practices, promising corrective steps to protect consumers.
According to Pawan, high prices are discouraging families from visiting theatres, which in turn affects overall footfall and entertainment tax revenues. He added that lower refreshment prices could encourage more people to visit cinemas and lead to higher audience turnout.
He further emphasized the importance of basic hygiene in theatres, demanding clean drinking water and proper sanitary standards as a basic responsibility of theatre owners. This responsibility, he said, should be supported with oversight from local municipal authorities.
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Pawan Kalyan also made it clear that producers must seek approval for ticket price hikes through the Telugu Film Chamber (TFC) instead of doing it independently—even for his own upcoming film Hari Hara Veera Mallu, scheduled for release on June 12.
Addressing the issue of theatre shutdowns, he demanded a probe into the alleged political involvement behind them—including members from his own Janasena Party—stating that no one should be above scrutiny.
Lastly, Pawan stressed that any policy regarding the development of the Telugu film industry should come from within the industry itself. He urged associations and cinema bodies to provide inputs that could be added to a comprehensive film development policy currently being drafted by the Andhra Pradesh government.
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