- Editorial: Swamy Muddam
A rare yet much-needed decision has suddenly become the latest hot topic in Tollywood. Director-producer Venu Udugula’s film Raju Weds Rambai has taken a bold step by fixing the ticket price at just ₹99 for single screens and ₹105 for multiplexes. At first glance, it may appear like a simple pricing strategy, but in reality, this move has the potential to trigger a transformational shift in the Telugu film industry. ETV Win’s initiative is not just a promotional tactic—it is a refreshing, inspiring, and healthy model for the entire cinema ecosystem.
In recent times, websites like Ibomma and Bappam have witnessed massive traffic. Many viewers openly said, “Reduce ticket prices, we will come back to theatres.” The audience is not unwilling to watch films, but skyrocketing ticket prices and the inflated cost of popcorn in multiplexes have pushed them away. In such a scenario, ETV Win’s ₹99 ticket decision acts like oxygen—especially for medium-budget and small films, even if not for the star-driven biggies.
Governments and police are making serious efforts to curb piracy, yet the real solution lies elsewhere—make theatres attractive again. And the first step is simple: affordable ticket pricing. ETV Win Business Head Saikrishna’s remark—“Piracy started from us; stopping it is also our responsibility”—is a much-needed reminder for producers, theatre owners, and OTT platforms.
Yes, lower pricing may initially seem like a loss for producers. But revenues grow only when audiences return to theatres. No matter how big the film is, empty halls bring zero results. Several regions in Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil industries already follow dynamic pricing—weekday discounts, special offers, and “Love Your Seats” models. These experiments helped small films achieve strong collections. It’s high time Tollywood embraced such a trend.
The decision taken by the Raju Weds Rambai team has opened an important debate—
How do we bring back family audiences?
How do we restore the festive magic inside theatres?
The answer is clear: Affordable price → Maximum housefulls.
This model strikes the perfect balance—light on the audience’s pockets, yet viable for producers.
If more production houses and multiplex chains in Tollywood adopt this approach, piracy will face a serious blow. There are lakhs of viewers ready to return to theatres the moment ticket prices become reasonable. That comeback is not far away.
That is why the experiment of Raju Weds Rambai is not merely a pricing decision—
It is a guiding light, a forward-looking spark that can shape the future of Tollywood.