CPI Urges Andhra Pradesh to Ban Ticket Hikes and Special Shows

CPI State Secretary Ramakrishna has written a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, urging him not to allow ticket price hikes or special benefit shows for big-budget films.

Ramakrishna specifically requested the Andhra Pradesh government to issue orders preventing the practice of increasing ticket rates or permitting benefit shows for major movie releases, similar to the recent decision by the Telangana government. He commended Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for announcing that there will be no further approvals for ticket price hikes or benefit shows in the state following the Sandhya Theatre incident, which he described as a wake-up call for authorities.

In his letter, Ramakrishna urged Chandrababu Naidu to adopt a similar approach in Andhra Pradesh, ensuring that ticket prices and special screenings remain regulated. He criticized the trend of production houses creating high-budget films, leveraging government approvals for increased ticket rates and special shows, and then profiting excessively at the expense of moviegoers.

Ramakrishna alleged that the undue pressure exerted by film industry representatives has led both Telugu states to permit practices not seen elsewhere in India. The CPI strongly condemned these actions, stating that such permissions burden the public.