Nellore: V Epiq, a theatre with one of the largest screens in India, discontinued shows from Saturday in protest against the new ticket rates proposed by the state government.
The theatre administration said they were given a B-form licence and the ticket rates fixed are low at Rs 200 and Rs 100. They said that they have decided to stop shows temporarily in all theatres since it is not viable for them as per the conditions laid in the new GO No 35 pertaining to reduced ticket rates.
The administrators said they will wait till a final decision is taken by the government. It is difficult to run multiplex theatres at inadequate rates, they mentioned. The theatre is the first in the country to have 106 feet widescreen, the promoters claim and said that it is the world’s third-largest screen. The theatre with a capacity of 676 seats, has two more screens of 140 seats each.
In addition to a huge parking area and a restaurant, there is an all-terrain vehicle track for the entertainment of visitors on the multiplex premises. UV Creations, owned by Tollywood hero Prabhas, is one of the stakeholders in the state-of-the-art theatre built two years ago on AP–Tamil Nadu border on the national highway No. 16 near Sullurpeta.
The area is dotted with special economic zones including the Sri City multiproduct SEZ and ISRO’s world-renowned spaceport, Satish Dhawan Space Centre among others.
