Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has directed the state’s Cinematography Minister and concerned officials to ensure that all cinema halls operate in strict adherence to regulations. Emphasizing the importance of audience experience, he called for robust oversight in the management of theaters.
Pawan Kalyan stressed the need for concrete measures to regulate both the quality and pricing of food and beverages sold within theaters.
“Any proposal to increase ticket prices — even for my own film — must be routed through the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce and submitted to the government for approval. It is not a healthy practice for individual producers to approach the government independently,” he stated.
The Deputy CM also called for an investigation into the forces behind the recent attempts to shut down theaters.
His comments come in the wake of recent tensions in the Telugu film industry, where a group of exhibitors and some producers proposed a shutdown of cinema halls starting June 1, demanding a shift to a percentage-based revenue-sharing model. Pawan Kalyan expressed concern that this move, coinciding with the release of his film “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” on June 1, could be politically motivated.
Following his intervention and a directive to the Andhra Pradesh Home Secretary to examine the issue, the film industry has since withdrawn the proposed shutdown plan.
