Bengaluru multiplexes may sell tickets for high price even with govt cap
- Multiplex owners want government to state different prices for different categories.
- Sources say that cap may only apply to tickets sold physically at the counter.
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Many Bengalureans are eagerly waiting for the state government to place a cap on the price of movie tickets. However, their dream of watching a movie for cheap while seated in a comfortable chair may not come true. Multiplexes in the city have requested the government to exempt luxury categories such as gold class from the new rule which is yet to be implemented.
Sources in the state government said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah delayed signing off on the cap when someone asked if the new rule would apply to luxury categories such as the gold class. According to insiders, the CM’s ignorance about the price of gold class tickets was telling and none of his ministers were able to give him an answer.
The signing got postponed as a result of this and the Chief Minister himself paid Rs 1,050 to watch Baahubali 2 over the weekend.
So far, it’s unclear if the government’s proposed rule will include gold class. However, there is pressure to leave it out of the Rs 200 cap. In addition to this, rumours suggest the government’s new rule applies only to tickets bought at the counter. In other words, websites such as BookMyshow may sell tickets at a higher price, reported Bangalore Mirror. This however hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Bengaluru’s multiplexes sell tickets at a much higher price compared to the rest of the South Indian cities. For instance, films that are screened in IMAX are priced as much as Rs 800. This is thrice as much as Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi multiplexes charge for tickets.
This difference became evident when Baahubali 2 released just a few days ago. The film is reported to have made more money in Bengaluru as compared to other cities in South India. The government’s indecision on initiating the cap in time led to huge profit margins for the producers of the film but not so much for the average Bengalurean.
