The Telangana High Court has questioned the State government’s decision to permit enhanced ticket prices for the Telugu film The Paradise, holding that the approval issued shortly before the film’s release did not record reasons for the increase and left little time for affected persons to seek a legal remedy.
Justice N V Shravan Kumar was hearing a contempt petition challenging the government memo that allowed higher ticket rates for the film, which is scheduled for release on September 24. The memo also permitted a special show at 6.30 p.m. on September 23, with tickets priced at Rs 500, inclusive of GST.
The government memo was issued on September 20, while the enhanced prices were to take effect from September 23. The petitioner argued that the timing breached an earlier direction requiring any future decision to increase movie ticket prices to be placed in the public domain at least 90 days before a film’s release.
That advance disclosure, the petitioner said, was necessary to allow interested persons to use the remedy available under Section 7-A of the Telangana Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1955. The government responded that the petitioner could challenge the memo under Section 7-A and argued that the contempt proceedings were premature.
The petitioner also contended that the government’s own guidelines required reasons to be recorded in writing before permitting an enhancement in ticket prices. According to the submission, the memo referred to the relevant government order but did not explain why the increase had been allowed for The Paradise.
The High Court observed that the impugned memo did not specify reasons for the enhancement as required under the applicable clauses of the government order. It also noted that issuing the approval only three days before the enhanced rates were due to begin left virtually no opportunity for interested persons to approach the authorities.
The court said the government ought to have placed the decision in the public domain sufficiently in advance rather than issuing permission immediately before the film’s release. It further noted that a similar last-minute approach had been seen in other pending matters concerning enhanced movie ticket prices.
Prima facie, the court held that the government had violated its earlier directions on advance disclosure and that the memo was bereft of reasons. The court left it open to the government to review the decision and consider withdrawing the memo.
The proceedings concern more than the price of a single film screening. They also examine how a regulated public-facing service uses administrative permission to alter prices, and whether such decisions are transparent enough for affected parties to challenge. In this case, the court’s observations focus on the timing and reasoning recorded in the government’s order.
The matter has been posted to October 6, when the government is expected to file its counter-affidavit. Until then, the status of the September 20 memo and the enhanced ticket rates remains subject to the court proceedings and any review by the State government.
