తెలంగాణలో సింగిల్ స్క్రీన్ థియేటర్లకు, మల్టీప్లెక్స్లకు టికెట్ రేట్లను ఫిక్స్ చేసిన ప్రభుత్వం
Telangana Fixes Cinema Ticket Price Ranges for Theatres
Indiabreakingdaily.com – త ల గ ణల స గ ల - త ల గ ణల స గ — the Telangana state government has rolled out a Government Order that pins down minimum and maximum ticket charges for every cinema hall operating within the state. Issued from Hyderabad, the directive introduces an entirely new category labelled "Special Theatres" and maps out a tiered pricing grid that varies according to whether a venue is air-conditioned, non-air-conditioned, or outfitted with premium audio-visual hardware.
Defining the "Special Theatre" Category
A single-screen hall earns the Special Theatre designation once it installs Dolby 7.1 (or higher) surround-sound systems paired with 2K or 4K projection capability. Trade analysts estimate that more than half of Telangana's single-screen venues — and approximately two-thirds of those located in Hyderabad — already satisfy the technical threshold, meaning they can now charge at the upper end of the permitted band.
"TELANGANA: PERMANENT ₹295 for Single Screens!! New GO out permitting Single Screens pricing upto ₹295 (incl GST) if they have specs of Dolby 7.1 or more and 2K Projection! More than Half of TG Singles and 2/3rd in HYD qualify as Special Theatres which can now charge at par…"
Seat Allocation and Screening Windows
The order mandates that exactly 25 per cent of seats in every theatre be classified as non-premium, ensuring affordable access regardless of venue tier. Daily screening windows span from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., with a hard cap of five shows per day. Additionally, the GO requires that smaller-budget films receive at least one daily screening slot so they are not displaced by high-profile releases.
Budget-Linked Concessions and Welfare Levies
Films whose production budget exceeds ₹100 crore are tagged as "Super High Budget" titles. During the first ten days of theatrical release, exhibitors of such films may push ticket prices toward the top of the applicable range. In return, the GO makes a compulsory contribution to the workers' welfare fund of up to ₹1 crore per qualifying film, tying exhibitor revenue directly to labour-welfare financing.
The Fixed Price Grid at a Glance
Non-AC theatres: Premium seats carry a ₹50–₹100 band; non-premium seats sit between ₹30 and ₹70.
AC theatres: Non-premium seats fall within ₹50–₹150, while premium seats are capped between ₹100 and ₹200.
Special theatres: Non-premium seats are fixed at a minimum of ₹100 and a maximum of ₹250, with premium seats extending up to ₹295 inclusive of GST.
Industry stakeholders across the Telugu film ecosystem have reacted with mixed sentiment. Exhibitors view the ceilings as a constraint on peak-revenue windows, while producers of mid-budget and independent titles welcome the guaranteed daily-screening mandate as a safeguard against schedule marginalisation. The broader త ల గ ణల స గ exhibition community is watching closely to see how enforcement unfolds in the coming weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the new pricing order apply to multiplexes as well as single-screen halls? A: Yes. The Government Order covers all cinema venues in Telangana, including multiplex chains, though the tiered grid is calibrated primarily around single-screen classifications.
Q: What happens if a theatre upgrades its sound or projection mid-contract? A: Once the venue meets the Dolby 7.1-plus and 2K/4K threshold, it transitions into the Special Theatre bracket and may immediately apply the higher price band.
Q: Are the stated prices inclusive of GST? A: The ₹295 ceiling for Special Theatres is explicitly inclusive of GST. Other tiers follow the same inclusive-of-tax convention as outlined in the GO.
త ల గ ణల స గ stakeholders should monitor subsequent circulars from the state's Department of Information and Public Relations, which may refine implementation timelines or clarify edge-case scenarios for hybrid-format venues.