Everyone knows the fable of the golden goose — the bird that laid a golden egg every day, only to be killed by a greedy man who wanted all the eggs at once. Tollywood’s current situation, critics say, is no different.
With governments in the Telugu states allowing special permissions, filmmakers and distributors are squeezing audiences by keeping ticket prices abnormally high.
Usually, after a film’s big opening weekend, producers voluntarily reduce ticket rates from Monday onwards. This practice helps regular audiences by cutting costs and also boosts theatre occupancy.
Many hit films in the past have followed this strategy, ensuring benefits for both viewers and theatres.
However, in the case of They Call Him OG, that hasn’t happened.
Despite the weekend ending, the makers have not reduced prices, arguing that the ongoing Dasara holidays will keep audiences coming anyway. For five straight days, including benefit shows, tickets have been sold at inflated rates.
Viewers expected a voluntary reduction in prices from Monday, but were left disappointed.
The impact is already visible at the box office, with no significant advance bookings for the coming days. Trade analysts warn that OG could see a sharp drop in collections across the Telugu states.
Had the rates been lowered, more people — including fans wanting a repeat watch — would likely have turned up at theatres. Instead, by clinging to high ticket rates, the industry risks damaging its own theatrical ecosystem.
This is exactly what veterans like R. Narayana Murthy have been warning about repeatedly.
