Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday, January 23, took up petitions demanding the recovery of Rs 42 crore earned through escalated ticket prices for Chiranjeevi-starrer ‘Mana Shankaravaraprasad Garu’.

Justice NV Shravankumar issued notices to key stakeholders, including government officials and film producers, while adjourning the matter for further hearing.

Petitioner’s arguments

Petitioners P Srinivasa Reddy and another urged the court to quash the government memo that permitted the price surge.

They sought directions to channel the collected funds into the government corpus fund or the High Court Legal Services Authority, arguing it was an undue benefit from inflated pricing.

During arguments, petitioners’ counsels pressed for immediate recovery, highlighting the financial implications on audiences.

Govt’s objection

Government advocate Mahesh Raje raised objections to naming Home Department Principal Secretary as a personal respondent in one petition, prompting its withdrawal.

Respondents notified include Home Department Principal Secretary, Shine Screen Entertainments India LLP, Goldbox Entertainments, director Anil Ravipudi, distributor Dil Raju, BookMyShow, and others.

The court will reconvene after service of notices, with petitioners pushing for refund mechanisms to protect public interest.