New Delhi, Feb. 5 -- Unreasonably high ticket pricing, long seen as a tactic used largely by Bollywood film-makers to bolster openings, has now crept into southern cinema, with disappointing results.

According to media consulting firm Ormax, footfall in Telugu cinema declined to 181 million in 2025, from 213 million in 2024 and 242 million in 2023. This underscores a key imbalance: While the box office collection rose about 1% year-on-year, the growth was driven largely by higher average ticket prices (ATP), particularly for tentpole films, rather than increased admissions.

While some agree that southern audiences are averse to price hikes, others point out that the content is to blame as well.

"It is worrying that the box office may b...