TG High Court: Ticket Prices for 'OG' Raised, Producer Gets Some Relief

HYDERABAD: The producer of the upcoming film OG, featuring Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, has received partial relief regarding the recent hike in ticket prices. On Thursday, the Telangana High Court overturned an interim order issued by a single judge concerning the government’s notification permitting the price increase until Friday (May 26). The bench instructed the single judge to deliver a final ruling on Friday after hearing arguments from both parties.

The petition was filed by Mallesh Yadav in the High Court, challenging the government’s notification dated May 19 that allowed the ticket price surge. The single judge initially heard the case and issued an interim order halting the enforcement of the government’s memo. Notices were issued to the respondents, and the hearing was adjourned to October 9. On Thursday, DVV Entertainments, the production house, filed a “lunch motion” petition contesting the single judge’s interim decision.

The case was heard by a bench comprising Justices Abhibit Kumar Shavili and Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy. Senior Advocate Avinash Desai, representing the production company, contended that the government had approved ticket price hikes from October 24 to October 4. However, the single judge postponed the hearing to October 9, which could undermine the intent of the government’s memo. Desai emphasized that the petitioner’s objective had already been fulfilled.

Public Prosecutor Mahesh Raje stated that the government had granted an exemption under Section 12 of the relevant Act. In response, the petitioner’s counsel argued that issuing the memo without explaining the exemption rendered it invalid. After considering the submissions from both sides, the bench remarked, “We are referring the petition back to a single judge in the interest of justice to both parties.”