High Court Twist Ahead of Sankranti: Raja Saab & MSG Ticket Issue
As the Sankranti festival box office battle intensifies, a major legal twist has emerged just days before the grand theatrical releases of The Raja Saab and Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu. With only 48 hours left for premiere shows, the producers of both films have approached the Telangana High Court, seeking urgent relief over ticket price hikes and permissions for special shows in the state.
Producers T. G. Vishwa Prasad, Ishaan Saxena, and Sahu Garapati have filed appeals requesting the High Court to suspend earlier single-judge orders that effectively blocked ticket price revisions in Telangana. Their move highlights the growing tension between film producers and the state government at a time when big-budget Sankranti releases traditionally depend on enhanced ticket pricing to recover costs.
This legal battle stems from a crucial order passed last month by Justice Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court. The judge had suspended a memo issued by the Chief Secretary of Telangana, which had permitted higher ticket prices for the upcoming film Akhanda 2. In his ruling, Justice Shravan Kumar also directed the concerned authorities to ensure that movie tickets were not sold at elevated prices until further orders. This decision sent shockwaves through the film industry, particularly affecting producers banking on festive season revenues.
Following the court’s order, Telangana Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy made it clear that the state government would no longer consider requests for ticket price hikes. His statement was seen as a firm stand against increased ticket rates, reinforcing the government’s intent to regulate cinema pricing strictly across the state.
However, despite the government’s public stance, the makers of Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu—starring Megastar Chiranjeevi and directed by hit-maker Anil Ravipudi—have submitted a fresh application to the Telangana government seeking revised ticket pricing. The move indicates that producers are still hopeful of securing last-minute approvals, especially given the massive expectations surrounding the film’s Sankranti release.
According to industry sources, the MSG team has proposed premium pricing for their theatrical run. The requested ticket rates include ₹600 for premiere shows scheduled on January 11 at 8 PM across all theatres. For regular shows running from January 12 to January 18, the producers have reportedly sought prices of ₹227 in single-screen theatres and ₹395 in multiplexes. These rates are in line with festive-season pricing norms followed in previous years.
Meanwhile, sources suggest that the makers of The Raja Saab, starring Rebel Star Prabhas, are also expected to seek similar ticket price permissions in Telangana. With Prabhas’s immense box office pull and the film being positioned as a major Sankranti attraction, the stakes are extremely high for the producers.
Parallel to submitting fresh requests to the government, the producers have officially moved the Telangana High Court, seeking suspension of the earlier single-judge order that restricted ticket price hikes. The dual approach—legal and administrative—underscores the urgency of the situation as premiere dates draw dangerously close.
With The Raja Saab Hyderabad premieres just about 48 hours away and advance booking momentum hanging in the balance, all eyes are now on the High Court’s response. The industry is keenly watching whether the court will grant interim relief and if the state government will issue approvals in time. The outcome could significantly impact not only these two high-profile releases but also set a precedent for future Sankranti seasons in Telugu cinema.
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