The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is close to selecting a business to operate its planned online movie ticketing platform.
Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani), the state’s Cinematography Minister, said that two companies have submitted tenders to run the state government-administered online movie ticketing platform, plans for which were approved via legislation last year. Nani said the government would finalise its decision on the successful bidder shortly.
The state government decided to introduce a transparent online ticketing system, similar to Indian Railways’ online ticketing system, to keep a check on tax evasion, and enhance the movie-theatre experience in the state via a mobile platform. Plans for the platform were included in the AP Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2021 that was passed last November.
The online booking system will be maintained by the Film Development Corporation (FDC) with a dedicated payment gateway to stop tax evasion and enable the Revenue Department to collect taxes on time, without any irregularities.
Meanwhile, producers of the new Indian blockbuster RRR have applied to raise standardised ticket prices for their movie in the state’s cinemas. AP regulations say that films with a budget of over Rs 100 crore can apply for higher ticket rates for the first 10 days after release, with ticket rates having been decided by the state since last April.
RRR producers have told the authorities that costs were in the region of Rs 336 crore.