Exhibitors question difference in tickets rates in urban and rural areas

Nellore: Opposing the ticket rates fixed by the government, theatre owners in rural areas are questioning the rationale behind the difference in the rates between urban and rural areas as there is “no such variance” in the maintenance expenditure.

They are also pointing to the power tariff, which is the same for rural and urban areas.

An exhibitor in an urban local body opposed the government argument that ticket rates should be within the reach of the common man as this is the only entertainment available to them.

More than 300 TV channels are available in every home if entertainment is the issue, he said and added that people will go to movies only if they are interested, irrespective of the ticket rates.

Referring to coffee and tea being sold at Rs 10 and Rs 15, he said they cannot maintain the theatres with ticket rates being at a low of Rs 10 and Rs 25.

Another exhibitor said that they have forgotten to obtain B-licences since no one was questioned about such things after Dr YSR became CM and the same situation continued during the terms of Kirankumar Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu.

“Taking advantage of our failure, officials are conducting raids on theatres that do not have licence, to harass us, ignoring that we suffered a heavy loss during the two rounds of Covid-19 spread,” the exhibitor said.

He said they are left with no alternative other than closing the theatres and this would make many staff at the theatres lose their jobs.