'People Should Sleep At 4am, Not Go To The Movies': Telangana HC Says On State Allowing Morning Special Show Of 'Game-Changer'
The Telangana High Court in an interim order on Friday (January 10) directed the State Government to review its decision which permitted an increased fare for tickets to the screening of the Ram Charan starrer 'Game-Changer'.
During the hearing court also orally criticised the State government for permitting the screening of the movie at 4 am, remarking that "People should sleep at 4am not go to the movies".
Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy passed the order in a writ petition challenging the memo issued by the State Government permitting an increased fare for movie tickets (100 rupees for multi-plexes and 50 rupees for Stand-Alone-Theatres) as being done without any authority and against GoMs no. 120 of 2021. The order also permits the screening of the movie premier at 4 a.m. The court said:
“point 3 the enhancement of rate, which is applicable from 11-19 of January 2025 the 1st respondent (State) did not spell out under which provision of law decision was taken to enhance the rate, hence there will be an interim direction to respondent no.1 to review its decision and restoring the rate. R1 shall also ensure that in the future, special shows shall not be permitted, until public interest, health and safety are duly considered.”
The Bench also did not take lightly to the fact that despite making an announcement, (following the Pushpa-2 incident) that no benefit show screening would be permitted, the State permitted the movie to be screened at 4 am.
The court said that the "government ought to have kept public interest, health and safety in mind, before issuing the impugned memo, there was no necessity to permit 3rd respondent (M/s Sri Venkateswara Creations) to screen a special show at 4 am on 10.1.2025, in fact the special show at 4 am, the government has permitted benefit show indirectly, which they could not have done directly.”
During the hearing the court while addressing the State's counsel orally said:
“You said you will not permit after Pushpa, what happened? Tomorrow they will want to screen for 24 hours, will you allow it? You have rejected permission for a benefit show and permitted at 4 am, what is this? It is a benefit show only, whatever name you give. People should sleep at 4am not go to the movies. They are taking kids to theatres at 1 o'clock at night. Next time when the matter comes, I will close all the movie theatres after 12. If the Government won't do it, I will do… I am only concerned about the Constitution and the right to life…..Until 16 years, no one should go to movie theatres after 12. I will make that, and I will close all the pubs. I am waiting for this. What is this, what sort of rules are these? Children are coming back at 2 am. 2 am is for roaming on roads? Economic development does not mean working at night, it means economic peace. This is not New York, the city that never sleeps. They don't want to sleep.. then what is the use? Why there should be life without sleep? If you don't sleep that means there is something wrong.”
Originally the petition was filed on January 9 and was placed before the bench on the same day. That day, the matter was adjourned for instructions by the State.
Owing to the similarities in law and fact, the matter has been tagged along with the batch matters arising out of the Pushpa-2 movie screening and have been posted for further hearing on January 24.
Satish Kamaal vs. State of Telangana
Counsel for petitioner: Md. Sultan Basha
Counsel for respondent: GP for Home.