The court directed authorities to enforce the suspension strictly across all theatres, warning that allowing increased rates without approval “would be a clear violation” of existing orders. The matter will now be heard on 9 October.
Published Oct 01, 2025 | 12:14 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 01, 2025 | 12:14 PM
OG Row: Police ask cinemas to sell at lawflu prices after High Court's orders
Synopsis: A movie-goer, Barla Mallesh Yadav, challenged a government memo that hiked the ticket price for Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan-starrer gangster drama, ‘They Call Him OG”. The production house, DVV Entertainment, preferred to mock Yadav, offering a ₹100 reduction in ticket price, only for him. However, he stood firm, and the high court ruled in his favour, and the Hyderabad police commissioner put his foot down and rolled back the ticket price hike.
A week-long tussle over movie ticket prices for Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s film in Telangana has finally concluded, and the people are the winners.
On 24 September, the High Court of Telangana suspended a government memo permitting enhanced rates for the Telugu film, They Call Him OG — or just OG — stressing that only the police commissioner had the authority to fix ticket prices.
Yet, for days afterwards, cinemas across Hyderabad continued charging inflated rates, openly defying the ruling. The theatres rolled back the prices only after the commissioner issued a memo on 29 September, directing strict adherence to the notified caps under GO 120.
On 24 September, Justice NV Shravan Kumar suspended a government memo dated 19 September that allowed ₹800 tickets for a special show of OG and higher rates until 4 October. The judge observed that the police commissioner is empowered to fix the rates but not the respondent 1, stressing that the Home Department lacked jurisdiction to alter ticket pricing.
He also ordered that the CBFC’s “A” certificate be strictly enforced, ensuring only adults were admitted.
Production house DVV Entertainment challenged the ruling, and on 25 September, a Division Bench of Justices Abhinand Kumar Shavili and Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy held that suspending the memo without hearing the producers would amount to virtually allowing the subject writ petition. The Bench returned the case to the single judge with a direction for a fresh hearing on 26 September.
When the matter returned, Justice Shravan Kumar extended the suspension of the memo, making clear that the state had failed to justify its stand.
“The Special Chief Secretary to Government in all fairness ought not to have issued the impugned memo prescribing the rates, which are in contravention of G.O.Ms No.120 dated 21.12.2021,” he said, underlining that the government had ignored binding directions from earlier division bench rulings.
He further noted that “to date, no counter has been filed justifying issuance of the impugned memo,” and held that enhanced ticket pricing could not be permitted without such justification.
The court directed authorities to enforce the suspension strictly across all theatres, warning that allowing increased rates without approval “would be a clear violation” of existing orders. The matter will now be heard on 9 October.
Following the court’s orders on 26 September, DVV Entertainment posted on X, reacting to the judgement. “Telangana HC extends interim order suspending the #TheyCallHimOG ticket price hike memo, applicable only to petitioner Barla Mallesh Yadav. So we’re offering him a ₹100 discount on his ticket at any Nizam theatre! Mallesh garu, hope you also enjoy the film like our fans did,” the post read.
DVV’s post offering Mallesh Yadav a discount
The comments under it mocked or criticised Hyderabad resident Mallesh Yadav for trying to interfere with the ticket prices. However, despite the legal proceedings, most theatres in Hyderabad continued to sell the tickets at enhanced prices.
Yet, on 29 September, the Hyderabad police commissioner, the competent authority, issued a memo. He cited the high court’s orders directing all cinemas to charge at the prescribed rates under GO 120 of ₹295 for multiplexes and ₹177 for single screens.
Despite the court’s suspension of the memo hiking the ticket prices, most theatres in Hyderabad continued to sell the tickets at a higher price. It was the police memo that prompted them to return to the lawful prices.
Yet, in between the initial order on 24 September and the police department memo on 29 September, no action was taken against cinemas that were in direct violation of the court order.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
