Actor Chiranjeevi has written to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy a day after the Andhra Assembly passed the AP Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2021, paving the way for an online movie ticketing system to be administered by the state government. The actor has asked the government to reconsider the move.
“Introducing the online ticketing Bill is something to be happy about, but at the same time, for the survival of theatres and for the many families who depend upon cinema alone for their survival, in their interest, these reduced online ticketing rates should be time to time fixed appropriately much like the rest of the country, for the benefit and welfare of the film industry,” he said.
“Just like you have a uniform GST for all states, having the same flexibility for ticket prices is reasonable. Please rethink this issue. Only if this kind of encouragement is given, the Telugu film industry can stand on its own,” he added.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, November 25, passed the AP Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2021, paving the way for an online movie ticketing system to be administered by the state government. The government said the amendment would help the government regulate cinema ticket pricing and check exploitation of moviegoers.
Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah, who tabled the Bill on behalf of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, said that the government brought the amendment to regulate ticket pricing and stop the exploitation of middle-class people by some exhibitors. He cited the current scenario of irregular ticket pricing, unauthorised shows, and in some cases, large gaps between the taxes and film collections.
“In order to regulate these, the government has decided to introduce a transparent online ticketing system, on the lines of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), and the Indian Railways online ticketing system, to keep a check on tax evasions, and enhance the movie theatre experience in the state,” he said, adding, “The proposed online ticketing system will enable the public to book tickets through mobile phones without queuing up at theatres or burning their pockets by buying tickets in black.”
The minister said that all stakeholders like producers, distributors, and exhibitors have welcomed the decision but a few political parties are still politicising the matter, although they were not related to the issue. He stated the online booking system will be maintained by the Film Development Corporation (FDC) with a dedicated payment gateway to stop the tax evasion and enable the Revenue Department to collect taxes on time, without any irregularities.