Amaravati: Movie buffs welcome online ticketing

Amaravati: While the general public have welcomed the new system of online ticketing of movie tickets and the decision that there will be no hike in ticket rates for big movies by three to four times, the exhibitors want the government to reconsider the decision on admission rates.

Speaking to The Hans India, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce vice-president Mutyala Ramdas said that the exhibitors submitted a memorandum requesting the government to reconsider the rates of admission as it will be difficult to run the theatres as power tariff is same at all places. He expressed hope that the government will reconsider its decision on rates of admission.

As per the GO, the ticket rates would be Rs 100, Rs 70 and Rs 30 depending upon the class. Vijayawada Exhibitors' Association secretary T Sai Surya Prasad also expressed similar views. The rates fixed by the government will be sufficient only for paying power bills.

He said that the exhibitors suffered huge losses for the past two years due to the Covid pandemic. Exhibitors invested crores of rupees on theatres and with this decision they will not be able to meet the maintenance cost. He said it will be difficult to implement the online ticketing system in small centres where there is no net facility.

However, people are happy over the decision of the Government. An engineering student Ch Jagadeesh said that the new system will end the earlier practice of steep increase in the ticket price when big budget films were released. Another cinegoer, S K Ibrahim, observed that it will end the practice of looting cine lovers by collecting huge amounts of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for big budget movies.