Big Budget Spectacles Need Pricing Support, Says Suniel Narang

The ongoing debate over ticket price hikes in the Telugu film industry has intensified, with exhibitors and distributors demanding collective discussions to resolve the growing crisis in exhibition business.Leading distributor Sirish Reddy recently announced that exhibitors in Telangana would not support steep ticket hikes for all films, even if the government issues G.O.s permitting them. Reacting to the issue, noted exhibitor and distributor Suniel Narang said theatres are ultimately bound to follow government regulations.“We have to abide by government orders because theatres need renewal licences from the government. It becomes impractical otherwise,” said Narang.However, he strongly objected to blanket ticket hikes for small and medium-budget films, including dubbed movies. “Increasing ticket prices by Rs 100 for even small films along with dubbed films is not fair. Such hikes are keeping audiences away from theatres,” he stated.Narang pointed out that audiences are becoming increasingly selective about spending on movies. “Producers are selling tickets at Rs 400 even for medium-budget films, while multiplex ticket rates are around Rs 295. How can we expect audiences to come to single theatres under such conditions?” he questioned.At the same time, Narang clarified that exhibitors are willing to support genuine big-budget spectacles. Films such as Peddi, Varanasi, Kalki 2 and Raaka, mounted on budgets exceeding Rs 200–300 crore, may require marginal hikes to recover investments.“We support such large-scale films, not every movie. Without audiences, it has become difficult to run theatres,” he added.Narang also stressed the need for immediate dialogue between all stakeholders in the industry. “The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce should organize joint meetings between producers, exhibitors and distributors. Nothing has happened so far. We need someone to initiate discussions, otherwise the issue will remain unresolved and one-sided decisions will continue,” he said.When informed that the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce is reportedly planning a meeting on May 15, Narang responded, “I haven’t received any information about it.”Producer Lagadapati Sridhar also expressed concern over rising ticket prices and urged the industry to adopt a balanced pricing strategy.“Ticket pricing has to be moderated. Many can learn from Dhurandhar, which is reportedly collecting nearly Rs 1000 crore within a week despite lower ticket prices,” he observed.Sridhar highlighted the strength of Telugu audiences, calling them among the most passionate moviegoers in India. “Telugu viewers watch stars like Ranveer Singh, Rajinikanth, Yash and Dulquer Salmaan with the same enthusiasm as Telugu superstars. You won’t find such an audience anywhere else,” he added.According to Sridhar, producers should focus on recovering investments through nationwide and overseas markets instead of burdening audiences in Telugu states alone. “If a film is made on a Rs 500 crore budget, recovery should happen through pan-India and global markets rather than depending solely on Telugu audiences,” he explained.However, leading producer Naveen Yerneni of Mythri Movie Makers defended the economics behind ticket hikes while speaking about Ustaad Bhagat Singh. He clarified that only a handful of large-scale films seek higher ticket prices.“Only five or six big films opt for ticket hikes to recover massive investments. Smaller films don’t require such increases,” he said, citing projects like Peddi, Varanasi and his upcoming film Dragon starring N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and directed by Prashanth Neel.“We spent nearly Rs 1.5 crore per day during the Jordan schedule. The visuals we captured are extraordinary and such spectacles demand massive investment,” Naveen added.



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