Pawan Kalyan starrer OG has been given an 'A' certificate, which is widely known.
Despite this, many families with children booked tickets and came to theatres right from the premiere shows.
However, theatre security has been stopping them from entering, stating that children below 18 years are not allowed. In some cases, they are even asking for Aadhaar cards to confirm age.
This led to parents getting enraged at the theatre staff, demanding that their children be allowed in. They argued that an 'A' certificate is not a big deal these days, as children are already accustomed to such violent content.
“Adult content means vulgarity, nudity and obscenity. That will certainly make parents uncomfortable watching with children, and an ‘A’ certificate applies there. But an ‘A’ certificate just for violence is meaningless. Even in Baahubali, there were beheading scenes, but we still watched with our kids,” said a parent at an INOX screen in Hyderabad, after her children aged 16 and 17 were denied entry to OG.
Some parents demanded a refund as they had to return home without watching the film.
The theatre staff argued that the bookings were done via BookMyShow, where the disclaimer about the 'A' certificate was clearly mentioned, and hence, money could not be refunded. This led to heated arguments with nearly 30–40 parents.
Finally, the theatre manager at one of the Cinepolis screens in Hyderabad took photographs of the ticket details and parent contact numbers, assuring that the money would be refunded within 48 hours. Parents left the venue with that assurance making a video record of that promise.
However, this situation is badly affecting the collections of OG. Generally, Pawan Kalyan’s films attract a strong family audience. But with children being denied entry, the box office is taking a hit. Unlike Hari Hara Veera Mallu, children were highly excited about OG due to its songs and promotional material.
Now, being denied entry at theatres has led to disappointment among children and revenue losses for the film.