As the Andhra Pradesh government issued a GO permitting a significant ticket price hike for the film Devara, many expected the Telangana government to follow suit with similar or even higher increases.
However, to the surprise of many, the Telangana government issued a GO with only a modest hike. Devara will have 1 AM shows in 29 theaters on the first day, with a Rs 100 increase per ticket. There will be six shows on the first day starting from 4 AM, with the same Rs 100 hike per ticket.
From the second to the tenth day, Devara will have five shows each day, with a Rs 50 increase per ticket in multiplexes and a Rs 25 increase per ticket in single screens.
In comparison, the ticket hikes in Andhra Pradesh are much higher. The GO stated that multiplexes could increase ticket rates by Rs 135, with upper-class tickets raised by Rs 110 and lower-class tickets increased by Rs 60.
This decision came as a surprise to the makers of Devara. However, they noted that they did not request a significant hike, considering second-day collections, and the GO was issued accordingly.
If that’s true, one might wonder—why wasn’t there similar concern about second-day collections in Andhra Pradesh?
In this context, an exhibitor commented, "In my opinion, Revanth Reddy seeks attention from film stars, similar to how Jagan Mohan Reddy did during his term. Even Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan are on good terms with him, having met Revanth Reddy. If Jr NTR had met him a few days ago, the numbers in the GO might have been different. It's time for Allu Arjun to connect with Revanth Reddy for assistance with Pushpa 2."
On the other hand, a producer remarked, "Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has much bigger responsibilities. His office and he himself will always act in the best interests of the public. He might have felt that entertainment should not become a financial burden on people, which is why he kept the hike within reasonable limits. I don't believe in any conspiracy theories surrounding this."
Devara, starring NTR, Janhvi Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan, is set to release on September 27th worldwide amid huge expectations.