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The Andhra Pradesh government has approved a substantial hike in theatre ticket prices for Pawan Kalyan’s much-anticipated upcoming film OG. The film is set to release on September 25. Along with the hike, the court has also granted permission for special 1 am screenings, with ticket prices reaching as high as Rs 1,000. Kalyan is serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
From September 25 to October 4 — the first ten days of release — cinema operators have been allowed to charge higher rates even for regular screenings. This marks a significant increase compared to usual ticket prices. The court has also permitted theatres to run five shows per day. The official order clarified, “provided it should not in any case be more than five shows in a day.”
For regular shows, ticket prices have been increased by Rs 125 (including GST) in single screens, revising the fare to Rs 272. In multiplexes, the ticket price for OG has been raised by Rs 150 (including GST) on the existing rates, bringing the new ticket price to Rs 327. With the Andhra Pradesh government approving the price hike, all eyes are now on Telangana to see whether the state government will also follow suit.
DVV Entertainment, the film’s production house, expressed gratitude to the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government for approving the hike. Their post on X read, “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Honourable CM Sri @NCBN garu and Honourable Deputy CM Sri @PawanKalyan garu for passing the new G.O. in Andhra Pradesh for the #OG release. Special thanks to the Cinematography Minister Sri @kanduladurgesh garu for his constant support.”
Fans, however, had mixed reactions to the ticket price hike. One fan commented, “Is this some kind of planning? How lightly are you taking us, thinking you can crush us into the ground?” Another fan wrote, “Only 5 shows on Day 1? Useless.”
The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments determine movie ticket prices through Government Orders (GOs), which are issued after consulting industry stakeholders like exhibitors and distributors, often prompted by High Court directives to form committees for discussing rates. They also allow special premieres, known as benefit shows, where ticket prices are hiked before a film’s release to boost its box office collections.
However, following a stampede during the screening of Pushpa 2 that resulted in a death, the Telangana government announced that it would no longer permit benefit shows in the state. In contrast, the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to allow early shows for Pawan Kalyan’s films is an exception, as it had previously refused paid midnight premieres for several recent films, including Devara.
OG is an action crime film, which is written and directed by Sujeeth, and produced by DVV Danayya. The film stars Pawan Kalyan in the titular role and it also marks Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi’s Telugu film debut. It also stars Priyanka Mohan in pivotal role.
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