Andhra Pradesh govt approves hike ahead of March 19 release

Six days beforeUstaad Bhagat Singhhits cinemas, the conversation has shifted from the film itself to how much it will cost to watch.

Andhra Pradesh has approved a ticket price hike for the Pawan Kalyan and Harish Shankar film, while Telangana has held firm on regular GO prices, creating a two-state pricing divide that is generating as much discussion as the release itself.

Andhra Pradesh has confirmed a hike with benefit show tickets priced at a flat Rs 500.

Single screen theatres will charge the existing GO price plus Rs 100, while multiplexes will charge the existing GO price plus Rs 125.

The approval came after production house Mythri Movie Makers formally applied to the state government for special rates.

The situation in Telangana is more complicated, and the reason goes back to a previous Pawan Kalyan film.

Pawan’s earlier film They Call Him OG received permission for a ticket hike in Telangana, but the decision was later struck down by the Telangana High Court.

That ruling has cast a shadow over any similar application for Ustaad Bhagat Singh.

Reports say the Telangana High Court’s earlier ruling has stalled the plans for Ustaad Bhagat Singh, since the makers are unsure how the court would react if they seek another hike.

As a result, Telangana theatres might stick to regular GO prices, with no hike applied.

Beyond pricing, the premiere show situation has also been resolved, though not in the way fans initially expected.

There will be no premiere shows in the Telugu states, as the makers’ request for ticket price hikes and premiere shows was rejected by the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

While Andhra Pradesh theatres are planning early shows from around 4 to 5 AM, Telangana theatres will start from 7 AM on March 19.

The pricing discussion has reopened a broader argument within the Telugu film industry about whether steep hikes are sustainable.

Some distributors had advised the makers to avoid premiere shows in Andhra Pradesh entirely and to keep the ticket price hike within Rs 50, citing concerns about the film’s long-term theatrical run.

Their argument was that the short-term gain from inflated opening day collections often comes at the cost of word-of-mouth momentum and sustained footfalls.

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Ustaad Bhagat Singh, directed by Harish Shankar and starring Sreeleela and Raashii Khanna as the female leads, is a cop action entertainer and marks the second collaboration between Pawan Kalyan and Harish Shankar after their 2012 blockbuster Gabbar Singh.

The film was originally scheduled for March 26 before being preponed to March 19 to coincide with Ugadi, after Yash’s Toxic was postponed.

The film carries added significance as Pawan’s second release since he assumed office as Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

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