The producers of Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu have received a shock with the latest directions of the Telangana High Court, which told the state government to place on record detailed information regarding the alleged collection of Rs 42 crore through increased ticket prices for the film.
Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu, starring actor Chiranjeevi, was released in theaters on January 12, 2026, with hiked ticket prices in Telugu states. The court also instructed GST authorities to submit relevant data before it. The matter has been adjourned to February 3.
The Ticket Hikes Effect: Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu Producers Under the Radar of the High Court
The directions were given by Justice NV Shravan Kumar during a hearing of a writ petition from advocate Paduri Srinivasa Reddy. The petitioner contested a memo from January 8 by the Principal Secretary of the Home Department that allowed special shows and higher ticket prices for the film.
The petitioner argued that the memo violated previous court orders and was thus invalid. It was claimed that the permission allowed ticket prices to rise to Rs 600 each (including GST) for special shows, with further increases for a week—Rs 50 in single-screen theaters and Rs 100 in multiplexes (including GST). The petitioner stated that these actions led to an unlawful collection of Rs 42 crore.
Telangana High Court issues orders against Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu producers
In search of relief, the petitioner asked the court to mandate the recovery of the supposed illegal profits and their deposit into the government treasury. He also requested instructions to ensure payments to the Telangana High Court Legal Services Authority and sought orders against various parties, including Shine Screen India LLP, Gold Box Entertainments, director Anil Ravipudi, distributor Dil Raju, BookMyShow, and local intermediaries, for allegedly profiting from the increased ticket prices.
After reviewing the arguments, Justice Shravan Kumar issued notices to the respondents, requiring them to submit their replies and supporting documents, including GST-related information. The court then postponed the hearing to February 3 for further review.
It needs to be seen how the producers of Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu react to the orders of the Telangana High Court.