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Andhra government to run website for online sale of movie tickets
The website would be similar to the railway reservation ticketing system, the order said. Andhra Pradesh state film, television and theatre development corporation will run the upcoming portal, and the government is working out other modalities.
Andhra Pradesh government is preparing a state-run website for online sale of movie tickets, both single and multiplex theatres, across the state, an order issued by principal secretary (home) Kumar Vishwajit on August 31 stated.
The website would be similar to the railway reservation ticketing system, the order said. Andhra Pradesh state film, television and theatre development corporation will run the upcoming portal, and the government is working out other modalities.
As of now, tickets in Andhra are sold online by private entities such as BookMyShow whereas, offline tickets are available at the theatre box office.
Currently, online ticket sales are restricted to major cities like Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Physical counters at theatres are the only mode of buying tickets in rural areas.
A government official who did not want to be quoted said the order was passed keeping in mind tax collections or tax revenues to the state government from movie theatres. “The tax collected per year is just a small percentage of the business the Telugu film industry makes. It is an old issue and is being sorted out. For example, if a film-maker earns ₹100 crores, the tax has to be paid accordingly,” he added.
The order further stated that the state government constituted a committee to create a blueprint of the system. The committee comprises the principal secretary (home) as the chairman and the principal secretary (Information technology) as co-chairman.
Other members include the secretary of the Andhra information and public relations (I&PR) department and managing director of the Andhra state film, television and theatre development corporation, managing director of the Andhra technological services and a representative of the commercial taxes department’s commissioner.
The move has worried industry bigwigs, who are concerned about the government’s intention behind this order. Several people refused to comment on the matter, terming it ‘very sensitive’. A senior person from the film industry, who didn’t want to be named, said that the issue will only be resolved if one of the senior actors meets chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to sort it out.
A well-known movie producer from Andhra, who also requested anonymity, said that the film industry had recommended online ticketing to streamline taxation earlier. “But the issue now is that there is no clarity about what the government wants to do. They mentioned that they would create something like a railway ticket portal. But how can money first come to the government and then come to us?” he questioned.
The movie producer added that one can not go to the government for their money, as it will lead to red tapes. “There is no clarity on this. This is not an essential community, it is a business,” he remarked. According to estimates, the Telugu movie industry, known as Tollywood, used to generate over ₹1000 crores every year during pre-Covid times.
