'Average cost for a family of 4 can be Rs 10K': Karan Johar attacks theatre chains for exorbitant ticket, F&B prices

Movie viewing has changed massively in India in the past couple of years due to the exorbitant movie ticket prices and food and beverage (F&B) prices in theatres and multiplexes. Filmmaker Karan Johar in a recent interview said that an average consumer has reduced their outings to the movie theatres to twice a year citing surveys. 

Johar, known for movies such as Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and My Name Is Khan, said that the average spending of a family of four can come out to be as much as Rs 10,000 if they decide to go for a movie outing. 

"Because the average cost for a family can be Rs 10,000. And maybe those Rs 10,000 are not in their economic planning at all," he said in a roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter. He explained that the income group which has reduced its theatrical outings is the one that forms a massive part of Bollywood's audience base.

Johar said that the main reason these people do not throng the theatres is because they can't afford it anymore. He added the large crowds could be observed in multiplexes around festivals such as Diwali or when a film like Rajkummar Rao-starrer Stree 2 releases. 

"They maybe come out on Diwali, or if they hear about a film like Stree 2. Family members said that they don't like to go to cinema halls, because when kids say that they want a popcorn or something to eat, they feel bad denying them, so they would rather go to a restaurant, where they're not paying for the ticket, they're paying only for the food," the My Name Is Khan director said. 

His colleague and Dil Dhadakne Do director Zoya Akhtar seconded his opinion on exorbitant ticket prices and high F&B costs at multiplexes. Akhtar, whose last directorial venture was Ananya Panday-starrer Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, said that people cannot afford to go to the cinema because of the food costs at multiplexes.

Besides food costs, Akhtar also said that the story of a film also plays a key role in dictating audiences' choices.  

"People can't afford to go to the cinema. They want to go to the cinema. If you're going to go twice, you're going to choose what films you want to go. Even if I want to go see Laapataa Ladies, maybe I can't afford to," she said at the roundtable.