Producers worried over exhibitors usurping 300 cr

The recent executive committee meeting of Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce witnessed heated exchanges between producers and exhibitors, over Rs 300 crore bounty to be earned next year through hike in ticket rates.

It is known that Telangana government revised ticket rates- Rs 40 and Rs 120- but it includes Rs 7 per ticket as maintenance charges which has become a bone of contention between the producers, distributors and exhibitors.

"The government hiked the maintenance charges from Rs 3 to 7 per ticket from July 1 and the additional Rs 4 should rightly go into the pockets of producers and not exhibitors” says producer N Padma, who claims majority of theatres are under the control of lessess in TS.

“Almost 500 out of 600 theatres in the TS are under the grip of four to five lessees(read star families) but only 10% of theatres are neat and clean, while the rest have pitiable toilets, lack of drinking water and poor air-condtioning facilities for viewers. But unfortunately, government is putting more money into those unprofessional rich pockets instead of hundreds of producers, which is unfortunate,” she adds.

Another producer Satyanarayana adds, “Already theatres charge exorbitant rents and make big money in leasing out canteen, parking and selling costly food items, I don’t know why want usurp additional Rs 4 per ticket. Government should amend the GO to avoid this loot by these rich people,” he adds.

Explaining the Rs 300 crore earnings, producer C N Rao adds “Although, there are theatres in TS with seats anywhere between 300 to 800 seats, let’s take an average theatre with 500 seats. In that case, Rs 7 on 500 tickets will fetch 3,500 per show and Rs 14,000 for four shows in a day.

Now 600 theatres will make Rs 84 lakh per day and more than Rs 300 crore in 365 days. Which is a whopping amount and belongs to producer and no one else,” he adds.

“Some influential exhibitors have misled the government and got the GO and the amount doesn’t go to actual theatre owners but only to lessees and government should verify it,” laments producer Radha Rajeswari.

The tug-of-war has prompted Telugu Film Producers Council president Burugupalli Sivaramakrishna to threaten exhibitors that he would move the court and ensure the excess amount rightfully reaches the pockets of producers.