VIJAYAWADA: Soon, movie tickets will be available to the audience at the prices fixed by the government, said Andhra Pradesh Film Development Corporation (APFDC) Managing Director T Vijay Kumar Reddy.Clearing the doubts of exhibitors and theatre managements that the introduction of the online portal to sell movie tickets would hamper their business, Vijay Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the government bring in the portal ‘Your Screens’ for overcoming the black ticketing system and making movie tickets available to the public at a lower price.
The movie-goers can book their tickets at a low price through the portal ‘Your Screens’. While other portals are charging Rs 20 to Rs 25 per ticket as service charge, Your Screens will charge just Rs 1.95 per ticket. Recently, a few Telugu film industry representatives met Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and urged him to introduce an online ticketing system in the State.
In this context, the then minister for Information and Public Relations Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) held several rounds of talks with exhibitors, distributors, service providers and stakeholders in September last.
The APFDC MD clarified that the government’s online ticketing policy will not affect past contracts with theatres. The old agreements will continue as usual. In addition to the existing online portals, theatres should also allow spectators to book tickets through ‘Your Screens’ brought by the government.
The government will also provide the necessary hardware and software. The audience has the opportunity to book a ticket from the portal of his choice, regardless of the price. “If the audience wants a movie ticket without the burden of extra charge, Your Screens portal is the best option,’’ the APFDC MD explained.
The government will check how many tickets are sold on a daily basis, at what rate and how much GST is levied to ensure its smooth functioning.