Read Time: 09 minutes

Synopsis

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed that the screening of the films Game Changer and Daaku Maharaj must be limited to five shows per day. The court's decision came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Angela Srinivasulu challenging government orders permitting additional screenings and enhanced ticket prices for these films.

The court, presided over by a Division bench comprising the Chief Justice Sri Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Ravi Cheemalapati, also restrained producers from charging elevated ticket prices for more than ten days post-release, deeming extended permissions granted by state memos as impermissible.

The petitioner sought a writ of mandamus against the government’s memos dated January 4, 2025, permitting extra benefit and regular shows for Game Changer and Daaku Maharaj, while also allowing higher ticket rates. The petitioner argued that these permissions violated Government Order (G.O.) Ms. No. 13 (dated March 7, 2022), which limited movie screenings to five shows a day between 11:00 AM and 9:00 PM and capped enhanced ticket pricing to 10 days post-release.

Game Changer was released on January 10, 2025, while Daaku Maharaj was released on January 12, 2025. According to the challenged memos, Game Changer was allowed one benefit show and six regular shows on its release day, with a pre-dawn screening at 4:00 AM in addition to a 1:00 AM benefit show. The film also received permission for five additional shows daily until January 23, 2025. Similarly, Daaku Maharaj was granted similar benefits, with screenings set to continue until January 25, 2025.

The petitioner contended that these measures contravened G.O. Ms. No. 13 by exceeding the number of permissible shows and extending higher ticket pricing for over 10 days, resulting in public safety risks and favouritism toward production companies.

Drawing parallels with previous PILs where similar permissions had been invalidated, the court underscored that G.O. Ms. No. 13 explicitly limited movie screenings to five shows per day for the first 10 days following a film's release. The memos allowing early-morning screenings and extended ticket pricing permissions were deemed to contravene these established guidelines. “The issue at hand is no different from the one which we have already dealt with in the past. In the instant case also permission was granted to collect higher rates beyond the period of ten days, which in our opinion, is, impermissible,” the court remarked.

Criticizing the memos, the court highlighted their lack of justification for exceeding G.O. Ms. No. 13's restrictions or deviating from a government-appointed committee's recommendations. The court noted: “The permission granted to screen shows beyond the five shows, which were otherwise permitted in terms of G.O.Ms. No.13, in our opinion, is, also not sustainable, inasmuch as the impugned memos do not at all reflect as to what was that additional material which was before the Government, which enabled the Government to come to a conclusion, contrary to the recommendations of the committee which had recommended screening of only five shows in a day.”

Regarding law and order concerns, the bench expressed skepticism over the state's capacity to manage crowd control during odd hours and noted the government's admission of inadequate police personnel, stating: “We are not sure whether the State, which otherwise has claimed that it is short of the requisite strength of police personnel, would otherwise be able to manage the surging crowds at odd hours at 01.00 A.M. in the morning or for that matter the extra show, which they have permitted to be screened at 04.00 A.M. in the morning. While the policy of the Government appears to be to permit the producers of big budget movies to charge higher rate for the tickets to enable them to recoup their investments made, yet, the same cannot be permitted at the cost of law and order.”

Accordingly, the court directed the producers and distributors of Game Changer and Daaku Maharaj to adhere to the five-shows-per-day limit and refrain from charging elevated ticket prices beyond the stipulated 10-day post-release period. The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 19.

In a parallel case, the Telangana High Court directed its state government to review similar permissions granted for 'Game Changer', criticizing the decision to allow screenings at 4:00 a.m.

 

Cause Title: Angela Srinivusulu v UOI [WP(PIL) NO: 7 OF 2025]