Supreme Court Stays Telangana High Court Order On 90-Day Notice Rule For Film Ticket Price Hikes

A bench of Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice Atul S Chandurkar issued notice to the Telangana government and others on a plea filed by film producer Mythri Movie Makers.

The Apex Court was hearing an appeal filed by the producer, challenging an order passed by the division bench of the Telangana High Court, which declined to interfere with a single-judge bench’s interim order.

The single judge bench on January 20 had passed an interim order directing the state to place any decision on hiking the ticket prices 90 days before a film's release date, as mandated by section 7A of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act 1955.

The dispute arose from a memo issued by the home department on January 8, permitting a price hike for the Chiranjeevi-starrer Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, which was scheduled for release on January 12.

The memo was challenged by advocate Dachepally Chandra Babu before the High Court, who contended that such sudden increases in the price of movie tickets prevent the public from their right to file reviews or representations under section 7A of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act 1955.

The single judge directed that if the govt proposes to permit a ticket price hike for any film in future, the decision must be placed in the public domain at least 90 days before the film's release.

"Having considered the above facts and circumstance and if in future, the government takes a decision to hike the movie ticket prices, the respondent Nos.1 and 2 are directed to place such decision in the public domain before ninety (90) days prior to release of the movie, enabling the interested person to file application under Section 7A of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act, 1955," the single judge bench had said.