Karnataka government’s Rs 200 cap on film ticket price: Netizens welcome decision, but await actual implementation

For a very long time, film audiences in Karnataka have lamented that a movie outing for a family of, say, 4, would be a major expense, taking into account, travel, ticket cost and refreshments, especially at multiplexes, with flexi pricing. As a result, the footfalls for films have seen a steady decline, barring star-led big budget movies and a few highly recommended titles. The issue with big films, though, is that to capitalize on the initial craze and ensure maximum returns, ticket prices would be hiked multi-fold. For instance, this reporter paid Rs 2500 for a 5 am show of KGF: Chapter 2 on Day 1, which was not even the premium segment.

Also read:

Kranti rampage: 135+ shows sold out, many more fast filling, but ticket rate a dampener 

First weekend ticket prices, especially for big films, have been priced above Rs 500 for the longest time, which, according to the latest Karnataka State budget, will cease to be the norm. The government has announced a Rs 200 cap on movie tickets, including at multiplexes to make theatre viewing a more affordable option. Netizens, of course, welcomed the move, but are now waiting to see how this gets implemented.

Will the cap on ticket price be effective on weekends and national holidays? What about early morning shows or first day first show? What about gold class, recliners, 4dx, imax, ice, pxl, 3d etc? These were some of the initial queries that came up on social media, as soon as the news broke. The detailed government order is expected to throw light on exemptions, if any, to this rule.

Also read:

Jailer rampage: Rajinikanth film gets 1,200 shows and counting in Karnataka 

While on the topic, some netizens also reckoned that the government ought to cap prices of refreshments in multiplexes as well, and wondered if Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s ‘tightening of nuts and bolts of the film industry’ comment was based on this impending move. Incidentally, in his previous term also Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had proposed a cap on ticket prices, a move that did not sustain very long.

The cap on movie tickets comes at a time when distributors have been gunning for a dynamic price structure. Incidentally, Tamil Nadu has successfully implemented a price cap, with tickets ranging between Rs 150 and 250 only, with earliest allowed shows at 9 am.