The Andhra Pradesh government has sanctioned a big ticket price hike for the upcoming period action drama Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 – Sword vs. Spirit starring Pawan Kalyan, which is going to release on July 24, 2025. This has raised eyebrows among fans and industry folk, given the film’s huge anticipation and the steep price hike.
The film, directed by Jyothi Krisna and produced by A.M. Rathnam under Mega Surya Productions, has permission to increase the ticket prices for the premiere and regular shows. For the special premiere shows on July 23, 2025, at 9 PM, tickets are priced at a flat ₹600 plus GST across all the theaters in Andhra Pradesh. From July 24 to August 2, regular show prices will see an additional hike: ₹100 for lower class seats, ₹150 for upper class seats in single screen theaters and ₹200 in multiplexes, all inclusive of GST. This means ticket prices will be around ₹297 for single screens and ₹377 for multiplexes for the first 10 days.
Producer A.M. Rathnam justified the hike, saying the film has a massive budget, extensive VFX and 5 years of production time. The period drama set in the Mughal era is about Veera Mallu’s quest to steal the Koh-i-Noor diamond and has grand visuals and star star-studded cast including Nidhhi Agerwal, Bobby Deol and Anupam Kher. The price hike is to offset the huge investment and the team is banking on Pawan Kalyan’s star power and fan base to drive the box office.
But the hike has raised concerns about affordability, especially for fans in small towns. Critics argue that the steep prices, especially for premieres shows may alienate the common moviegoer and multiplex tickets may go up to ₹885 for premieres. The move has also drawn flak as Pawan Kalyan is the Deputy Chief Minister and some are questioning the timing of the approval after his recent push for regulated ticket pricing through the Telugu Film Chamber. Despite the drama, the team is confident. Promotions are in full swing and a pre-release event is planned on July 20 in Visakhapatnam. Fans are expecting a show, but the ticket prices will put them to the test.