On BookMyShow, the popular ticket booking platform, Multiplexes and single-screen theatres are charging more than the warranted ₹295 and ₹175, respectively.
Published Sep 25, 2025 | 12:19 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 25, 2025 | 12:19 PM
A poster of Pawan Kalyan's film 'They call him OG'.
Synopsis: Despite the 24 September order of the Telangana High Court suspending a state government memo allowing for a “benefit show” and enhanced rates for Pawan Kalyan’s film OG or They Call Him OG, tickets are being sold at higher prices.
Despite the 24 September order of the Telangana High Court suspending a state government memo on 19 September allowing for a “benefit show” and enhanced rates for Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s film OG or They Call Him OG, tickets are being sold at higher prices.
The high court pronounced the order after a petition, filed by one Barla Mallesh Yadav, challenged the memo issued by the Home Department, which allowed a special screening on 24 September at 9 pm at the price of ₹800 (including GST) and enhanced rates for the movie across the state.
In its memo, the state government had allowed a hike of ₹100 and ₹150 at single-screen theatres and multiplexes, respectively, between 25 September and 4 October.
However, theatres are continuing to charge moviegoers the hiked prices for OG. On BookMyShow, the popular ticket booking platform, Multiplexes and single-screen theatres are charging more than the warranted ₹295 and ₹175, respectively.
Multiplexes are charging about ₹445 — ₹150 more than the ₹295 mentioned in Government Order (GO) 120 of the Telangana government. This includes Hyderabad’s iconic Prasad’s Multiplex, Allu Arjun’s AAA Cinemas, actor Mahesh Babu-owned AMB Cinemas, and popular chains like PVR.
Meanwhile, Single-Screen Theatres are also charging ₹275, ₹100 more than the ₹175 allowed under GO 120.
A group of five moviegoers confirmed to South First that they paid ₹4,000 for five tickets — ₹800 per person — for a “benefit show” at Prasad’s Multiplex on 24 September, at 10.25 pm.
The petitioner argued that the memo issued by the state was illegal. He noted that the authority to issue such price changes lies with the City Police Commissioner in Hyderabad and the Joint Collectors in the Districts, making the memo issued by the Home Department’s Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana, Ravi Gupta’s memo, illegal.
“In the present case, the Commissioner of Police is empowered to fix the rates but not the respondent No.1. Hence, the impugned Memo dated 19.09.2025 is in contravention of the GO Ms No.120, dated 21.12.2021,” the court said in its order. Respondent No. 1 in the case was the Home Department.
“Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case and the submissions made by the learned counsel on either side, there shall be an interim suspension of the impugned Memo dated 19.09.2025 issued by the respondent No.1. Further, the Respondent No.2, the Commissioner of Police, is directed to ensure that only 18+ Adult audiences are allowed to the said cinema as per the rating of the movie granted by the CBFC, Government of lndia and also to ensure that the ticket are not to be sold to the below 18 years audiences,” the high court ordered.
The court listed the matter for 9 October for further hearing.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Saicharan Sana.)
