Abhiruchi -Cookery Show – March Episodes

An interim order issued by the Andhra Pradesh High Court has imposed strict restrictions on film screenings during the festive season, creating challenges for filmmakers planning releases for Sankranthi.

Citing concerns over crowd management, the court has prohibited theaters from conducting special shows during late-night hours (1 AM) and early mornings (4 AM).

The directive also stressed the importance of providing adequate police protection to ensure crowd control in theaters during the festive period.

In response to the court’s ruling, the state government has released a memo outlining new regulations concerning ticket price hikes and the scheduling of additional shows.

The memo explicitly restricts theaters to a maximum of five shows per day for a ten-day period, with one of these permitted as a benefit show. Screening a sixth show has been strictly prohibited.

District collectors and police commissioners have been instructed to enforce these measures diligently.

While Ram Charan’s “Game Changer” has avoided these restrictions, films like Balakrishna’s “Daaku Maharaaj” (releasing on January 12) and Venkatesh’s “Sankranthi Vasthunam” (releasing on January 14) face challenges due to the ban on special shows.

Interestingly, online ticketing platforms like BookMyShow have already sold tickets for 4 AM special shows of “Daaku Maharaaj” in some regions of Andhra Pradesh. However, with the restrictions now in place, the status of these shows remains uncertain, potentially leading to revenue losses for the industry.

Analysts warn that the new regulations could significantly impact box office earnings during the Sankranthi season, a traditionally profitable period for Telugu cinema