Tollywood divided

Tollywood producers are divided on the demand to increase the rates of cinema tickets. The government last month issued a GO doing away with the rule that theatres could sell tickets of new big budget movies at 70 per cent more than the existing rates in the first two weeks of their release.

Big producers say that the decision will affect their business. "We had benefited from high ticket rates," said Mr N. Srinivas, a senior producer. "We will face losses now." "The GO doesn't talk about removal of VAT and entertainment tax," said Mr K.S. Rama Rao, president of AP Film chamber of Commerce. "We want the government to remove them and hike ticket rates."

Manjula Varshney, proprietor of Sensation Insomnia theatre, has moved the High Court against the latest order. Producers of small budget movies say that 80 per cent of Tollywood films are low budget films and they would face severe loss if high ticket rates prevailed. "It has become difficult for the common man to watch movies as the theatres have hiked rates," said Mr R. Narayana Murthy, actor and producer. "Audiences will pay more for movies of big stars. But small movies will perish."