Hyderabad: Moviegoers in Telangana state have to shell out more to watch movies in theaters from Tuesday. The Telangana government issued orders increasing ticket prices in all theaters — single screen and multiplexes. The revised prices came into force with immediate effect.

The rise is a result of the new GST (Goods and Services Tax) that is set to come into force from July 1. The ticket prices were revised in accordance with increase in taxes under GST, which has put movie tickets in the 18 percent tax slab.

The ticket prices in GHMC and other municipal corporations have been increased to Rs40 for lower class and Rs120 for higher class in AC theaters, against Rs75 and Rs20 at present.

In non-AC theaters, the ticket price has increased to Rs20 and Rs60 respectively, but there are no non-AC theatres in municipal corporations. In municipalities, the ticket prices have been increased to Rs30 for lower class and Rs80 for higher class in AC theaters against Rs50 and Rs10 respectively at present.

In nagar panchayats and gram panchayats, the new ticket prices are Rs70 for higher class and Rs20 for lower class in AC theaters against Rs30 and Rs10 at present. For non-AC theaters, tickets will cost Rs50 and Rs15 against Rs6 (lower) and Rs30 (higher) at present.

In multiplexes, a ticket will now cost Rs300 for Gold/Royal Class and Rs200 for Executive/ Regular class, against Rs250 and Rs150 at present. However, multiplexes should charge 20 percent less than the maximum ticket price for seats in the first two rows from the screen.

Strangely, the government issued these orders on June 23, stating that the revised prices will come into force with immediate effect. The government kept these orders a secret by not uploading the GO on its official website till Monday.

However, some theaters have already increased ticket prices from Friday last with the release of Allu Arjun’s ‘DJ Duvvada Jagadham’. All theaters will charge the new prices from today.