Today, something surprising happened in Telangana. The State government allowed special shows and ticket price hikes for actor Pawan Kalyan’s new film Hari Hara Veeramallu, releasing on July 24.
This is strange because in December 2024, the same government had clearly said no more special shows or ticket hikes after a woman died in a stampede at a movie theatre.
Back then, Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy promised strict rules: no more benefit shows, no extra charges, and full support for the victim’s family.
But now, the same government has allowed Rs 600 ticket prices and extra shows for this new movie with an additional charge of Rs 200 (excluding GST) for multiplexes and Rs 150 (excluding GST) for single-screen theatres. It has also approved higher ticket prices for several days after the release.
People are angry and confused. They’re asking why the rules changed again, and why earlier promises were ignored. This isn’t the first time either.
Looking back, we get a question why was permission denied for Devara’s pre-release function, while approval was granted for Hari Hara Veeramallu’s event at Shilpakala Vedika? This selective approach is raising serious questions.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had clearly stated in the Assembly, after the Sandhya theatre stampede tragedy, that his government would not allow benefit shows or special film events to avoid chaos and ensure public safety. Yet, these words seem to have been conveniently forgotten.
Earlier, Game Changer was granted permission allegedly due to producer Dil Raju’s camaraderie with government head but that too was later revoked following High Court intervention.
With all this, it appears to the general public that if the Chief Minister likes a person or the party sees political advantage, permissions flow easily; if not, requests are rejected without explanation. Is governance now being guided by favoritism instead of fairness?
This shows a troubling double standard. The Congress-led Telangana government seems to be acting based on convenience or political pressure, not principle.
When promises are made in the wake of a tragedy, they must be respected, not tossed aside when the hype of a big film rolls in, people on social media say.
