Post ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, the debate surrounding ticket prices rages on

Allu Arjun in ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In the aftermath of the overcrowding incident at Sandhya Theatre, Hyderabad, on December 4 in which a 35-year-old woman lost her life and her son is being treated in a hospital, a question that continues to crop up is whether the state government of Telangana will grant permission for premiere shows with hiked up ticket prices soon. Post the incident during a premier show of Pushpa 2: The Rule, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, minister for cinematography, Government of Telangana, reportedly stated that permissions will not be given for early ‘benefit’ or premiere shows and that there will be a rethink on increased ticket rates.

Representatives of the film industry are likely to approach the state government seeking permission for premieres ahead of the big budget Sankranti 2025 releases — Game Changer, Daaku Maharaaj and Sankranti ki Vasthunnam. 

The trend of getting the Telangana state government’s nod to increase ticket prices in the opening week for big budget films in Telangana gathered momentum with SS Rajamouli’s RRR. A ticket at a multiplex in Hyderabad for the first three days cost more than ₹400. At single screens, tickets cost around ₹230 each. 

In the pre-pandemic years, a multiplex ticket in Hyderabad cost between ₹150 and ₹175, and an IMAX/large screen ticket cost ₹225 to ₹250. In December 2021, in response to requests from Telugu film industry representatives, distributors and exhibitors, the State government fixed the minimum ticket price at ₹50 and the maximum at ₹150 (excluding GST) for air-conditioned theatres. Multiplexes were allowed to charge a maximum of ₹250 (excluding GST).

Post RRR, big-budget films such as Acharya, Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire, Kalki 2898 AD and Devara: Part 1 were granted permission to hike ticket prices during the opening week. While the clamour for tickets for big-budget films with A-list stars prevailed, industry observers have been concerned over dwindling footfalls for other films. 

In 2024, more than 240 Telugu films were released in theatres by mid-December. Among these, only a dozen films turned out to be box office winners. 

Over the years, the diminishing success rate has often been a talking point, with different stakeholders in the film industry — directors, writers, producers and actors to distributors and exhibitors — reiterating the importance of engaging narratives and smart marketing. The hike in ticket prices has become another factor for concern. 

In the case of Pushpa 2: The Rule, ticket prices reached a new high. Tickets for the premier show on December 4 cost around ₹1050 in single screens (inclusive of taxes). For the opening weekend, a multiplex ticket cost approximately ₹570 and a single screen ticket around ₹500 in Hyderabad.

What’s the harm, one might ask, since films such as Pushpa 2: The Rule generate frenzy among the audiences and many are willing to pay a higher price. Beyond the demand-meeting-supply argument for big-budget films is the reality of diminishing footfalls in both multiplexes and single screens for major parts of the year. The reasons range from new Telugu films arriving on digital platforms barely four weeks after theatrical release to the audience being reluctant to frequently spend on tickets.

It may be recalled that in May 2024, single screen theatre owners had decided to down the shutters for 10 to 15 days citing poor footfalls. 

Where are the repeat viewers?

Vijender Reddy, president of the Telangana Single Screens Exhibitors Association, says that hype and clamour for tickets in the opening weekend of big films notwithstanding, there is a definite dent in collections for the other films. “A family that has spent more than ₹300 or ₹400 per ticket for a big film is less likely to come to the theatres for a repeat viewing of the same film and unlikely to watch another film in the theatres later in the month. People have cut back on the number of films they watch in the theatres.”

In the past, films irrespective of their budgets were screened at regular ticket prices and had repeat audiences for weeks, not limited to fan clubs of stars. Vijender says this organic increase in footfalls, driven by the general audiences, has become rare. “Fan clubs do book tickets in large numbers for big films. For other smaller and medium budget films, however, the footfalls are scarce unless there is positive word of mouth soon after release.”