The Karnataka government has implemented a maximum price limit of Rs 200 on movie tickets throughout the state. This cap applies to all films, regardless of language, that are shown in Karnataka's multiplexes. This unexpected regulation has caught film producers off guard, as they often seek increases in ticket prices before major movie premieres.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in his 16th budget, included measures to support Kannada cinema, such as recognising the sector as an industry. This decision ensures that the cinema industry will now be entitled to the same benefits as other industries under Karnataka’s Industrial Policy.
In a recent post on X, financial planner D Muthukrishnan highlighted Tamil Nadu's role as a pioneering state in regulating movie ticket prices. He mentioned that movie tickets in Tamil Nadu are consistently sold at affordable prices due to the state's effective capping mechanism.
"I see a lot of surprise in social media on Karnataka capping the price of movie tickets at Rs 200. Tamil Nadu is a trendsetter in this regard. Movie ticket prices are always capped. Please check BookMyShow for exact rates. It roughly starts around Rs 60, and the maximum is capped at around Rs 200. Movies are an unavoidable part of Tamil culture. So all successive state governments have ensured that movie going is affordable for the masses. For example, a movie ticket in Mumbai may cost Rs.1000, but for the same movie, in the same theatre chain, the ticket in Chennai would start at Rs.60," Muthukrishnan wrote on X.
High movie ticket price
In 2024, during a discussion, directors Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar highlighted the deterrent effect of the high expenses associated with watching films on audiences' decisions to visit theaters. Johar noted that surveys suggest that the typical consumer now limits their visits to the cinema to just twice a year.
This shift is motivated by a preference to allocate time and money to dining out, instead of paying inflated prices for snacks at the movies.
Johar claimed that the average spending of a family of four can come out to be Rs 10,000 if they decide to go for a movie outing.
To this, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) slammed Johar and the average cost for a family of four at multiplexes is slightly over one-tenth of what Johar suggested.
MAI President Kamal Gianchandani said: “The reports carried Karan Johar's comments suggesting that cinema exhibitors are responsible for high ticket and food & beverage (F&B) prices. We believe it is essential to provide a more balanced view on this matter.”
MAI's statement clarified that: “In 2023, the Average Ticket Price (ATP) across all cinemas in India was Rs 130 per ticket. The country's largest cinema chain, PVRINOX, reported an ATP of Rs 258 for the fiscal year 2023-24. Additionally, the Average Spend Per Head (SPH) on F&B at PVRINOX during this period stood at Rs 132. This brings the total average expenditure for a family of four to Rs 1,560-significantly different from the Rs 10,000 figure carried in the media reports.”
Earlier, PVR-INOX chief Ajay Bijli addressed the issue of high ticket and F&B prices at his cinemas. He said, “I’m a business, I also need to get an return on investment. If you put a Rs 8 crore projector, then you need to get your revenues in line to get that ROI, which will satisfy any investment decision you make.”