The Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order of the Telangana High Court that required the state government to place any decision permitting a hike in film ticket prices in the public domain at least 90 days before the movie’s release. The interim relief came while hearing an appeal filed by film producer Mythri Movie Makers challenging the High Court’s directive.
A bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar issued notice to the Telangana government and other respondents on the producer’s plea and stayed the operation of the High Court’s order.
The appeal before the Supreme Court challenges a ruling of a division bench of the Telangana High Court, which had declined to interfere with an interim direction issued earlier by a single-judge bench.
The single-judge bench had passed the interim order on January 20 while dealing with a challenge to a government decision permitting a temporary hike in movie ticket prices. The court directed the state that if it proposes to allow a ticket price increase for any film in the future, such a decision must be made public at least 90 days prior to the film’s release.
The direction was issued in light of Section 7A of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act, 1955. According to the High Court, advance disclosure would allow interested persons to file applications or representations regarding the proposed price hike.
The dispute originated from a memo issued by the Telangana home department on January 8 allowing a ticket price increase for the film Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, starring Chiranjeevi. The film was scheduled to release on January 12.
Advocate Dachepally Chandra Babu had challenged the memo before the High Court, arguing that sudden increases in ticket prices deprive members of the public of their opportunity to file objections or representations under Section 7A of the 1955 Act.
While passing the interim order, the single-judge bench observed:
“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 days prior to release of the movie, enabling the interested person to file application under Section 7A of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act, 1955.”
However, the Supreme Court has now stayed the operation of this direction and sought responses from the Telangana government and other parties, indicating that the issue will be examined further in the appeal filed by the producer.
