Allu Arjun in ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After the overcrowding incident at Sandhya theater in Hyderabad on December 4, in which a 35-year-old woman lost her life and her son is undergoing treatment in the hospital, a question is constantly being raised whether the state government of Telangana will soon increase Will allow premiere shows with ticket prices. Post an incident during a premiere show of Pushpa 2: RulesKomatireddy Venkata Reddy, Minister of Cinematography, Government of Telangana, reportedly said that permission would not be given for early ‘benefit’ or premiere shows and the increased ticket rates would be reconsidered.
Film industry representatives are likely to approach the state government to seek permission for the premiere ahead of the release of the big budget Sankranti 2025. Game Changer, Daku Maharaja And sankranti ki vasthunnam,
The trend has gained momentum with SS Rajamouli getting the nod from the Telangana state government to increase ticket prices in the opening week for big budget films in Telangana. RRRA ticket for the first three days costs more than ₹400 at a multiplex in Hyderabad. On a single screen, each ticket costs around ₹230.
In the years before the pandemic, a multiplex ticket in Hyderabad cost between ₹150 and ₹175, and an IMAX/big screen ticket cost between ₹225 and ₹250. In December 2021, in response to a request from Telugu film industry representatives, distributors and exhibitors, the state government fixed the minimum ticket price at ₹50 and maximum at ₹150 (excluding GST) for air-conditioned theatres. Multiplexes were allowed to charge a maximum of ₹250 (excluding GST).
Post RRRBig budget films like Acharya, Salar Part 1: Truce, Kalki 2898 AD And Devara: Part 1 was allowed to increase ticket prices during the opening week. While there is a clamor for tickets for big-budget films starring A-list stars, industry observers are worried about dwindling footfall for other films.
More than 240 Telugu films were released in theaters in 2024 till mid-December. Only a dozen of these films proved to be box office winners.
Over the past few years, declining success rates have often been a topic of discussion, with various stakeholders in the film industry – from directors, writers, producers and actors to distributors and exhibitors – reiterating the importance of engaging narratives and smart marketing. The rise in ticket prices has become another cause for concern.
in the matter of Pushpa 2: RulesTicket prices reached a new high. Tickets for the premiere show on December 4 are priced at around ₹1050 (including taxes) in single screen. For the opening weekend, multiplex tickets in Hyderabad cost around ₹570 and single screen tickets cost around ₹500.
One might ask what’s the harm in this, because such films Pushpa 2: Rules Create a frenzy among the audience and many people are ready to pay higher prices. Beyond the demand-meets-supply logic for big budget films is the reality of declining footfalls at both multiplexes and single screens for large parts of the year. Reasons for this include new Telugu films arriving on digital platforms barely four weeks after their theatrical release and audiences being reluctant to spend on repeat tickets.
It may be recalled that in May 2024, single screen theater owners had decided to down shutters for 10 to 15 days citing low footfall.
Where are the repeat viewers?
Vijender Reddy, president of Telangana Single Screen Exhibitors Association, says that despite the hype and clamor for tickets on the opening weekend of big films, there has been a definite decline in the collections of other films. “A family that has spent more than ₹300 or ₹400 per ticket for a big movie is less likely to come to the theater to watch the same movie again and is unlikely to watch another movie in the theater at the end of the month Is. People have reduced the number of people watching movies in theatres.
In the past, films were screened at regular ticket prices regardless of their budget and drew audiences for weeks, not limited to the stars’ fan clubs. Vijender says that this natural increase in viewership has become rare because of the general audience. “Fan clubs book tickets in large numbers for big films. However, for other small and medium budget films, the viewership is low unless there is a positive response immediately after release.”
published – December 19, 2024 03:55 PM IST
