Supreme Court Stays Telangana HC Order Mandating 90-Day Advance Notice For Movie Ticket Price Hikes

The Supreme Court today stayed a Telangana High Court order which directed the state government to put in public domain any decision regarding hike in movie ticket prices 90 days in advance.

A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar passed the order, while issuing notice on the plea filed by M/s Mythri Movie Makers, a film production and distribution company. On behalf of the petitioner, it was argued that the High Court's order had potential to affect all movie releases in the state.

Briefly put, one Dachepally Chandra Babu approached the High Court challenging the state government's grant of hike in the movie ticket price for Telugu movie 'Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu'.

He alleged violation of right to information of the stakeholders, including the audience, and sought a direction for the State Home Department to ensure in future that any price hike decision to any movie show the details of income and expenditure of statement of movie maker, total specific budget, and source of funds of producer.

In this petition, an interim application sought a direction for the State Home Department to make any decision regarding movie ticket price hike atleast 90 days in advance, so that stakeholders may challenge the same timely by way of a review (as per Section 7A of the TG Cinemas Regulation Act 1955).

Upon hearing the submissions, a Single Bench of the High Court ordered,

"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 (90) days prior to release of the movie, enabling the interested person to file application under Section 7A of the TG Cinemas Regulation Act, 1955."

Aggrieved, the petitioner approached the Supreme Court.

Case Title: M/S MYTHRI MOVIE MAKERS Versus DACHEPALLY CHANDRA BABU AND ORS., Diary No. 14102-2026