Madras HC directs TN government to take action against cinemas charging more than fixed ticket rates. Justice warns theatres amid rising OTT popularity and urges strict enforcement.
Kochi: The Madras High Court, on Monday, June 9, 2025, directed the Tamil Nadu government to take proper action against cinema theatres that charge moviegoers more than the ticket rates fixed by the government.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh passed this order while closing a writ petition filed by G. Devarajan, a resident of Chennai, back in 2017.
The petitioner had complained that cinema theatres were collecting extra money from the public during the initial days of a movie release.
He specifically pointed out the issue during the release of actor Ajith Kumar’s film Vivegam, when some theatres allegedly charged more than the permitted rate.
The petitioner had also requested the court to order a refund of the extra ticket charges to the viewers.
When the case was heard for final orders recently, an Additional Government Pleader informed the court that the State had already formed special committees to monitor and control ticket pricing in cinema theatres.
These committees are meant to ensure that theatres do not violate the rules set by the government.
After hearing this, Justice Venkatesh recorded the government’s update and clearly stated:
“When the government has fixed rates, the theatre owners cannot fleece the moviegoers by collecting excess amount. Whenever such practices are reported, the committees must immediately act upon them.”
He further emphasized that movie theatres should seriously think about changing their approach if they want to stay relevant, especially with the growing popularity of OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others.
The judge made a personal comment during the hearing by saying:
“These days, most people, including the judge sitting before you, prefer to watch movies on OTT using home theatres. Now, we have the convenience of getting even popcorn delivered at home. Therefore, theatre owners must give a thought to it.”
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