As the Sankranti season approaches, Tollywood is gearing up for one of its most competitive and high-stakes festive windows, with multiple big-budget releases lined up within a short span. Among them, The Raja Saab and Mana Shankar Vara Prasad Garu have emerged as two of the most anticipated projects. With massive investments and heightened expectations, the focus has now shifted to ticket price hikes and special early shows, which traditionally play a crucial role in maximizing festival box office collections.
Given the heavy demand during Sankranti, the producers of both films have already approached the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments seeking permission to increase ticket prices and conduct additional shows. However, the situation in Telangana has become complicated due to previous judicial orders restricting such hikes. As a result, the makers of The Raja Saab and MSVP have now moved the Telangana High Court, filing special petitions requesting permission to enhance ticket rates and allow extra shows during the festive period to recover their production costs.
Last year, a single bench of the High Court passed a strict order barring movie ticket price hikes in the interest of the public. The court had suspended government orders that allowed special pricing for Akhanda 2 and strongly criticized the Telangana government for repeatedly disregarding judicial directions. Due to this ruling, the state government is currently unable to grant any permissions unless fresh directions are issued by the court. In response, the producers of both films have requested the cancellation of those earlier orders and sought directions to the State Home Secretary to permit revised pricing and early-morning shows.
The counsel representing the producers submitted an urgent house motion petition seeking an immediate hearing. While the request was made for Tuesday, the court has scheduled the hearing for Wednesday, making the outcome of the judgment crucial for both films. If the court rules in favor of the filmmakers, the state governments are expected to consider their applications, potentially paving the way for higher ticket prices and expanded show schedules during Sankranti.
The stakes are particularly high given the star power involved. The Raja Saab features pan-India superstar Prabhas in the lead role, while Mana Shankar Vara Prasad Garu stars Megastar Chiranjeevi. Both films carry enormous expectations and are projected to open strong at the box office across Telugu states. With the festive rush and fan frenzy already building, the High Court’s verdict is expected to play a decisive role in shaping the opening-day revenues and overall theatrical prospects of these high-profile Sankranti releases.
