HYDERABAD: Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court, in interim orders, on Wednesday suspended a state government memo dated September 19, 2025, which allowed higher ticket prices for the Telugu film 'OG'.
The memo, issued by the Principal Secretary (Home), permitted a special 9 pm screening on September 24 at `800 per ticket, including GST, and higher rates until October 4.
Advocate Barla Mallesh Yadav challenged the order as arbitrary, illegal and beyond the Principal Secretary’s authority. He argued that under the Andhra Pradesh Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1955, only the Commissioner of Police, as licensing authority for Hyderabad and Secunderabad, can fix admission rates. He also cited GO Ms. No 120 (2021) and prior high court directions requiring strict adherence to prescribed rules.
Counsel noted that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) rated OG as “A” (adults only), requiring enforcement to prevent entry of under-18s. The Government Pleader countered that the petitioner had an alternative remedy under Section 7 of the Cinemas Regulation Act, making the writ petition untenable.
The court observed that the challenge targeted the government’s executive order on pricing, not licensing. Granting interim relief, it suspended the memo and directed the Hyderabad police commissioner to enforce the CBFC’s “A” rating, admitting only adults. The case is listed for further hearing on October 9.