Pricey Popcorns, Drinks: Andhra Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan Calls For Theatre Reforms, Issues Order
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said that families should not avoid theatres because of expensive refreshments
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday directed officials to regulate cinema ticket, food, and beverage prices across the state, citing concerns over monopolistic practices and unaffordable rates for moviegoers.
Raising objections to high prices of popcorn, soft drinks, and bottled water in theatres, Kalyan instructed authorities to monitor both pricing and quality standards. He further asked the authorities to initiate a probe wherever necessary.
'Families should not avoid theatres because of expensive refreshments," he said, adding that fair pricing could increase footfall and, in turn, boost tax revenues.
He said the government has taken note of monopolistic operations in both multiplexes and single-screen theatres, and a detailed probe has been ordered to identify and rectify irregularities.
Kalyan noted that ticket price hikes must be routed through the Telugu Film Chamber (TFC), not sought individually—even for his upcoming film Hari Hara Veera Mallu, slated for release on June 12.
'The government departments must perform their duties diligently, ensuring fair practices in pricing and operations," Kalyan said in a post on 'X', according to a briefing by Cinematography Minister K Durgesh.
Underscoring the need for clean drinking water and hygiene in cinemas, he called it a basic duty of theatre owners, to be enforced by municipal authorities.
Kalyan also demanded an impartial investigation into the closure of certain theatres, including any political interference—whether from the ruling party or his own Janasena Party.
He further stressed the need for stakeholder consultations, urging that inputs from Telugu film industry bodies be included in the state's upcoming film development policy.
First Published:
May 27, 2025, 19:17 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Krutrim layoffs continue as Ola-backed AI startup looks to build ‘leaner' teams
Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal's AI venture, Krutrim, has reportedly laid off several employees in the company's linguistics department in its second round of job cuts this year. More than 100 employees have been impacted by the layoffs after being hired six months ago as part of Krutrim's strategy to make its workforce leaner, according to a report by Economic Times. 'As part of a strategic realignment and our commitment to efficient capital deployment, we are building leaner, more agile teams. This transition aligns with evolving business priorities and reflects our long-term vision to build India's own full-stack AI platform,' a Krutrim spokesperson told The Indian Express in a statement. The AI startup did not confirm exact figures on how many job roles have been cut in this round of layoffs. 'We urge you to refrain from publishing unverified reports that are not substantiated by accurate facts,' it added. Krutrim reportedly hired linguists for full-time roles to train its AI models and evaluate its responses in at least 10 Indian languages, including Tamil, Odia, Telugu, and Marathi. The company's linguistics team comprised over 600 people, as per the report. In June this year, Krutrim reportedly axed dozens of linguist roles after the introduction of its agentic AI app called Kruti. which is capable of autonomously booking cabs and ordering food on the Ola platform. It also has plans to enable ride bookings and food delivery orders on rival platforms such as Uber, Zomato, Swiggy, etc, through the AI agent. Earlier this year, Krutrim released a handful of new 'open-source' AI models with the aim of making India have a stronger presence in the AI race which is currently dominated by the US and China. Aggarwal, the founder and CEO of the company, had announced a $230-million injection of funds into Krutrim and said he was seeking an additional investment of $1.15 billion by 2026. He also announced Krutrim AI Labs to carry out frontier AI research with a focus on 'developing India's first frontier-scale AI models, creating state-of-the-art multimodal AI systems, and publishing breakthrough research in top-tier AI conferences like NeurIPS, ICML, ACL, Interspeech, and CVPR,' as per the official website. In May this year, a machine learning engineer at Krutrim was found dead in Bengaluru. Allegations cropped up on social media suggesting that the 25-year-old died by suicide due to 'work pressure'. However, the company responded to the social media posts, saying that the employee, Nikhil Somwanshi, was 'on personal leave at the time of the incident.'
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
'3BHK' OTT release date out: When and where to watch emotional Tamil drama?
Marking his 40th outing in cinema, actor Siddharth headlined 3BHK, a moving coming-of-age drama both penned and helmed by filmmaker Sri Ganesh. The project was inspired by 3BHK Veedu, a short story written by Aravindh Sachidanandan. The movie premiered in theatres across Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh on July 4, 2025, in both Tamil and Telugu versions. While initial critical reactions were mixed, the film earned appreciation for its touching depiction of Indian middle-class family aspirations. As per media outlets, the film is scheduled for release on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video by mid-August 2025. 3BHK is Sri Ganesh's third feature following his earlier directorial efforts, 8 Thottakkal and Kuruthi Aattam. Produced under the Shanti Talkies banner by Arun Viswa, the film centers on a modest, lower-middle-income family and their decades-long journey toward home ownership. Spanning 20 years, the narrative reflects on the emotional, financial, and social sacrifices made in pursuit of a dream many Indian families can relate to. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Product Management Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity CXO Design Thinking MCA Public Policy Project Management Technology Finance Management others Degree PGDM MBA Leadership Others Data Science Digital Marketing Data Science Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Competitive Advantage Tactics Product Development Processes & Market Orientations Product Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making Agile Development, Design Thinking, & Product Leadership Duration: 40 Weeks IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Creating Effective Product Roadmap User Research & Translating it to Product Design Key Metrics via Product Analytics Hand-On Projects Using Cutting Edge Tools Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Product Management Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details The story unfolds in 2006 and introduces viewers to Vasudevan (played by Sarathkumar), his devoted wife Shanti (portrayed by Devayani), and their two children—Prabhu (Siddharth) and Aarthi (Meetha). Vasudevan's sole ambition is to accumulate enough savings to purchase a permanent residence for his family. However, time and again, life throws obstacles in his path. Whether it's paying for Prabhu's engineering education, attending to sudden medical issues, or covering Aarthi's marriage expenses, his goal remains constantly just out of reach. The emotional tension revolves around whether this family can finally claim a space of their own. Siddharth delivers a restrained and powerful performance as Prabhu, convincingly evolving from a restless teenager into a mature adult grappling with responsibility and reality. The film's production was largely based in Chennai, and Amrit Ramnath composed the soulful music that underscores the emotional beats of the narrative. Dinesh B. Krishnan and Jithin Stanislaus contributed to the visual storytelling as cinematographers, while editor Gamesh Shiva shaped the film into a 2-hour-20-minute final cut. Earlier in the year, Siddharth appeared in Test, a direct-to-digital feature alongside R. Madhavan and Nayanthara. With 3BHK, he brings yet another emotionally rich character to life, anchoring a film that resonates deeply with audiences seeking stories grounded in everyday Indian realities.
New Indian Express
15 hours ago
- New Indian Express
NRIs are Andhra's brand ambassadors: AP IT minister Lokesh at Singapore diaspora meet
VIJAYAWADA: HRD, IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh described Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) as the State's brand ambassadors and urged them to promote Andhra Pradesh as a top investment destination. Speaking at the Telugu diaspora meet organised by APNRT at the OVIS Auditorium in Singapore, Lokesh emphasised the critical role of NRIs in rebuilding the State after five years of stagnation under the previous YSRCP regime. He said the coalition government, under Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu's leadership, is working to put Andhra Pradesh back on track. He also emphasised alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, promising to recover the State's losses from the past five years, with interest. Lokesh highlighted global trust in the 'CBN Brand' as a magnet for investments. Citing official data, he noted that in the financial year 2024–25, India received $81.04 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with Singapore accounting for approximately $14.94 billion, 19% of the total. He expressed confidence that directing a substantial share of these funds toward Andhra Pradesh could help transform it into a global economic hub, similar to Singapore. The minister invited NRIs from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Indonesia to invest in the State, assuring support through the Economic Development Board (EDB) for startups and industries.
