VIJAYAWADA: Movie buffs in the city have exhausted all the cinema tickets that are sold in eSeva centres for the Chiranjeevi-starrer Stalin just within a week of the announcement of the date of release of the flick. They have booked tickets for one week from September 20 in three theatres in the city through eSeva centres. However, the sale of tickets in advance will commence only after the designated theatres, where the movie will be released, are announced.

They have also booked tickets for the first five days in four other air-conditioned theatres, where the movie is only expected to be released simultaneously. In fact, Chiranjeevi fans have taken a calculated risk in buying the tickets of several theatres through eSeva centres, for they are not sure in which cinema halls would the movie be screened.

One can buy a cinema ticket a month in advance at eSeva centres to watch a film in any air-conditioned theatre in the city by paying an extra Rs. 5 on the ticket price. They, however, will have to watch whatever movie is screened on their chosen day and show. The eSeva counters can sell only 22 to 35 tickets per theatre per show, as the allotment is given for the seats in only one row in the upper circle.

The film production unit, Anjana Productions, is currently shooting a duet on hero Chiranjeevi and heroine Trisha in Hyderabad, while the fans of the star are making a beeline at eSeva centres in the city to get a ticket for watching the movie in the first week, at least. "We have completed the sale of tickets for all shows from September 20 to 27 for Apsara, Jayaram and Raj theatres and for five days from the date of the release for Urvasi, Jaihind, Navarang and Priyadarshini cinema halls," says M. Suresh Kumar, administrative officer of eSeva, Krishna district. He says all the 10 eSeva centres in the city registered the sale of 3,561 cinema tickets in the first five days of September, which is a record.

Record prints

Following an announcement from the producers of `Stalin' last week that the movie would be released on September 20 with a record number of 400 prints, distributor of Krishna district `Alankar' Prasad announced that Apsara, Jayaram and Raj would be the main theatres.

He says the movie will be screened at air-conditioned and non air-conditioned theatres in the city and on the outskirts. He, however, says the names of the theatres will be announced only a week before the release. The distributor has also sought permission from the district Collector to hike the prices of tickets for the first one week, for which the State Government has already accorded special permission.

"Those who buy tickets at eSeva counters will have to pay the balance amount at cinema theatres before watching the movie," Mr. Prasad says.

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