Backlash over ticket price hikes for Coolie and War 2 in Telangana

Hiking ticket rates has become routine for Telugu producers, who approach the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments for approvals. What began with Baahubali has now turned into a standard practice, with state authorities readily granting week-long price hikes, regardless of a film’s budget or scale.

This time, the outrage is stronger because Telangana has extended the privilege even to dubbed films like Rajinikanth’s “Coolie” and Hrithik Roshan–NTR’s “War 2.” Though both feature Telugu actors in main cast, they are not straight Telugu productions.

Why Coolie costs more in Hyderabad than Chennai?

In Chennai, “Coolie” tickets in multiplexes are priced between Rs180 and Rs200. In Hyderabad, the same film—dubbed into Telugu—will cost Rs300 to Rs450. Distributors Suresh Babu and Suniel Narang, who bought the AP–Telangana rights for over Rs 44 crore, reportedly pushed for the hike to recover costs. Filmgoers see this as blatant exploitation, and social media criticism is mounting.

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War 2 faces similar flak

For “War 2,” producer Naga Vamsi acquired Telugu rights for a massive Rs80 crore and secured the same rate hike approval. While the Mumbai market also commands higher prices for the film, critics argue that in Telangana, audiences are being unfairly burdened.