A cold drink that costs Rs 50 outside is sold for Rs 400 plus taxes. Even a half liter bottle of water costs Rs 100 at the theater cafe. If you spent anywhere between Rs 400 to Rs 1200 on tickets, isn’t that part of the joy? Multiplexes have long faced criticism over high prices. But despite the public outcry, including viral posts questioning tariffs on commodities like water, nothing has changed at the film multiplexes.
In a sharp rebuke that reflects the frustrations of countless Indian moviegoers, the Supreme Court of India on Monday upheld the exorbitant prices at multiplexeswarning that uncontrolled fares could drive away audiences and leave cinema halls deserted. The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta did not mince words during a hearing on petitions challenging the Karnataka government’s efforts to cap movie ticket prices, highlighting how even basic refreshments like water bottles and coffee are outrageously priced.
“You charge Rs 100 for a water bottle, Rs 700 for coffee,” Justice Nath orally observed, Live Law reported.
The observation came amid arguments in the case of Multiplex Association of India and Another vs The Karnataka State Film Chamber of Commerce and Others, where multiplex owners are challenging a Karnataka High Court order upholding the state government’s decision to cap movie tickets at Rs 200.
The move by the Karnataka government is aimed at making films more accessible in the backdrop of rising costs.
A division bench of the Supreme Court had earlier temporarily suspended the limit but imposed stringent conditions such as multiplexes must maintain verifiable records of every ticket sold, monitor buyers online and offline for possible refunds, and periodically verify accounts through chartered accountants. These measures, the bank reasoned, would protect consumers if the state ultimately prevailed.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Multiplex Association of India, said, “Taj is charging Rs 1,000 for coffee. Can you fix this? It’s a matter of choice.”
But Judge Nath said, “This [rates] needs to be resolved,” adding, “Cinema now that it is in decline – make it more reasonable for people to come and enjoy it, otherwise the cinema halls will be empty.”
Senior advocate Rohatgi said, “Let it be empty; this is only for cinema complexes. You can go to the normal one. Why do you want to come here alone?’
“There are no normal ones anymore,” Justice Nath said, adding, “We agree with the division bench that it should be Rs 200.”
Rohatgi argued that the Supreme Court’s guidelines were “unworkable”, especially the requirement to collect identity information for cash purchases.
“The learned judges think that tickets are sold through counters. Tickets are sold through BookMyShow. They will have the details. I do not keep ID proofs. No one goes to the counter to buy a ticket,” Rohatgi said, adding, “Who carries an ID card to buy a ticket?”
The State Counsel (Karnataka) defended the interim guarantees as merely a “scheme to guarantee refunds”. If a patron pays Rs 1,000 today and the state wins tomorrow, they will get Rs 800 back, he explained.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, on behalf of another petitioner, contended that the state had no legal authority to impose price controls, while senior advocate V Lakshminarayana, appearing for the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, termed the Supreme Court’s order a “consent order” agreed upon by all parties.
This is not the first time that multiplex prices have been in the spotlight.
The public reaction has been dormant for years. Social media rants are now quite common as popcorn portions shrink while prices rise, or water bottles increase in price by 300% over retail.
Mumbai-based trade analyst Himesh Mankad wrote about
Not just ordinary people, even celebrities have expressed their concerns about ticket prices and the overall cost of going to the cinema. Filmmaker and producer Karan Johar had said this last year a movie outing for four now costs Rs 10,000.
A 2023 consumer survey by the Confederation of Indian Industry estimated the average multiplex outing at Rs 1,800 per person, pricing families out of the middle class and contributing to a 15% decline in footfall post-pandemic.
With the film industry grappling with competition from platforms like Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar, and at least a dozen more OTTs, the Supreme Court’s push towards regulation could make your trip to the movies less painful in the years to come.
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