Last Updated:September 25, 2025, 07:38 IST

The Telangana HC has cancelled the special premiere of They Call Him OG, halting ticket price hikes and leaving Pawan Kalyan fans in limbo.

Pawan Kalyan in a still from They Call Him OG.

Fans of Pawan Kalyan faced heartbreak this week after the Telangana High Court stepped in just hours before a much-awaited premiere of They Call Him OG. The late-night show, cleared by the state government for Wednesday at 9 pm, was suspended on the court’s orders, leaving audiences and makers in shock.

Court halts government memo

On Friday, September 19, the Telangana government had issued a memo allowing the makers of director Sujeeth’s OG to host a one-off premiere at 9 pm on Wednesday, with tickets priced at Rs 800 (including GST). The same order also cleared a temporary hike in ticket prices for all regular shows between September 25 and October 4. Single screens were allowed to charge an extra Rs 100, while multiplexes were permitted to collect an additional Rs 150.

But when a petition was filed against the order, Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court stepped in and suspended the memo. The move instantly cancelled the premiere and also blocked the ticket price hike.

Fans caught in limbo

The last-minute order came as a blow to fans who had already bought tickets. Many were left disappointed after preparing to watch Pawan Kalyan on the big screen a day ahead of release.

Adding to the frenzy, reports had surfaced earlier this week that a fan had purchased a benefit show ticket for an eye-popping ₹1,29,999. According to The Hindu, Amudala Paramesh from Lakkaram village in Choutuppal mandal bought the ticket during an auction held at Srinivasa Theatre in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district. That benefit show was scheduled for 1 am on Thursday, September 25.

Release date holds

Despite the setback, the theatrical release of They Call Him OG remains locked for September 25. The film stars Pawan Kalyan in the lead alongside Emraan Hashmi, marking his Telugu debut, with Priyanka Arul Mohan, Arjun Das, Sriya Reddy and Prakash Raj in key roles.

Shreyanka Mazumdar

Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring…Read More

Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring… Read More