The Telangana government’s decision to ban benefit shows has delivered a significant blow to upcoming big-budget films.
Stars like Ram Charan and Nandamuri Balakrishna are expected to feel the impact first.
Ram Charan’s Game Changer and Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaaj, both slated for a Sankranthi 2025 release, are high-profile films that traditionally thrive on the buzz generated by benefit and paid premiere shows.
The ban was announced by Telangana State Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy after a tragic incident during the paid premieres of Pushpa 2 on Wednesday night, where a woman lost her life in a stampede.
Despite the restriction, the Telugu film industry is exploring alternatives to maintain hype and revenue, such as increasing the number of daily screenings to six or seven shows per day.
