Ticket caps, plenty of spin
Reports say Telangana has recast cinema ticket slabs statewide. The Congress-led state government hasn’t published the order where anyone can see it. Until it does, the noise — including the scare about single screens — is just that: noise.
The reported ticket caps remain easier to find than the order said to contain them.
Secondary reports this week say the Telangana government has replaced the old location-based ticket rules (the 2021 regime under G.O.Ms.No.120) with new category-wise caps: non-AC, AC/air-cooled, “Special Theatres” and multiplexes. One report describes Special Theatres as upgraded single screens with 7.1 sound and 2K/4K projection, and mentions mandated lower-priced seats so cheaper tickets still exist. That is the picture — so far, from reports, not from the order itself.
On prices, multiple outlets report ceilings up to ₹300 for premium or recliner seats in multiplexes and Special Theatres. One says ₹300 includes GST; another says taxes and online charges are extra. Those two cannot both be true. The only way to settle it is to see G.O.Ms.No.77 — which the Congress-run state government has not bothered to put on an official page where the public can read it.
The Telangana State Film Chamber is reported to have asked for a review, warning that smaller-town single screens could be hit and seeking a stakeholder meeting. Fair — put the memo on the record with numbers, and let’s see it. Until then, it is an attributed concern, not a proven outcome.
Here is what is on the record: the 2021 order had category caps (including ₹300 for recliners/multiplex in some cases) and the High Court told the state to enforce it. So a uniform, category-based refresh is hardly the apocalypse it is being pitched as. It might even help if the rules are clear and statewide.
What would help most is the basic thing the Congress government owes the public: the actual order. Seat classes, GST inclusion, maintenance and online fees, the percentage of low-priced seats, and who certifies a “Special Theatre” — all of that belongs in a published document, not in whispers. Put G.O.Ms.No.77 up, or stop expecting everyone to argue blindfolded.