SC stays Telangana high court order on 90-day disclosure of movie ticket price hikes

Hyderabad: In a relief to film production house Mythri Movie Makers, Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Jan order of Telangana high court that directed the state govt to place in the public domain any decision regarding a hike in movie ticket prices 90 days prior to a film's release.A bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Mythri Movie Makers challenging the high court's directions. The high court had issued the order while hearing a petition filed by Dachepally Chandrababu challenging the hike in ticket rates for the film ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu', starring Chiranjeevi and Nayanthara. The apex court also issued notices to the state govt, Telangana Film Development Corporation and Chandrababu, and adjourned the matter to be heard along with a similar case pending before it. Challenging the order, counsel for Mythri Movie Makers contended that the high court's directions had the potential to affect all movie releases in the state. The counsel also cited provisions of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act and argued that an order which could adversely affect movie makers or distributors could not be passed without giving them an opportunity to make a representation. Recording the submissions, the bench said that, in the present case, the high court order was adversely affecting the petitioner. "Considering the aforesaid, operation of the high court order shall remain stayed in the case of the petitioner," the bench said.