One movie ticket at a multiplex – Rs 170 approximately
Parking charges – Rs 60
Regular popcorn – Rs 120
Beverage – Rs 100
A bottle of value-added water – Rs 60
Going to the movies is considered a family activity in Tamil Nadu. With restrictions on bringing outside food and overpriced packaged food sold in theatres, every outing turns out to be a costly affair. A movie at the multiplex would cost a person on an average Rs 500. And, despite a ruling that bottled water should be sold at MRP, not all follow the rule. Some flout it by opting to not stock regular bottled water but only value-added ones. Water from the Himalayas, anyone? Recently, the Maharashtra government ordered cinema theatres in the state to allow outside food and to sell food items at MRP. Multiplexes and movie theatres in Hyderabad too have been directed to not sell packaged food items at prices higher than the MRP.
The Background
During the Assembly session in July in Nagpur, Maharashtra’s Minister of Information and Technology Ravindra Chauhan announced that from August 1, moviegoers would be allowed to carry their own food inside theaters and that strict action would be taken against theatres that failed to comply.
The move came after the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) held a series of protests seeking an explanation as to why food was being sold at a premium in theatres.
Later, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde also confirmed the order via his tweet saying, “There are no restrictions on bringing food items inside multiplexes across Maharashtra. Strict action will be taken against those who do not allow this. Also, from 1 August, food articles will be sold at MRP.”
राज्यातील विविध महानगरांमधील मल्टीप्लेक्समध्ये बाहेरील खाद्यपदार्थ घेऊन जाण्यास कुठलीही बंदी नाही, अशी बंदी कोणी करत असेल तर त्यावर कारवाई होणार आहे, तसेच 1 ऑगस्ट पासुन खाद्यपदार्थांच्या किंमतीची एकच एमआरपी राहणार आहे. याबाबत मी आज #नागपूर_अधिवेशन मध्ये लक्षवेधी उपस्थित केली होती pic.twitter.com/uAVmgJXJsL
— Dhananjay Munde (@dhananjay_munde) July 13, 2018
Last year, director Jainendra Baxi had approached the Bombay High Court against the prohibition on carrying outside food in theaters and filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) claiming that “there is no legal or statutory provision that prohibits one from carrying personal food articles or water inside movie theatres.” The petition also said that according to the Maharashtra Cinema (Regulation) Rules, it is prohibited to sell food inside theaters and auditoriums.
The situation in Tamil Nadu
Silverscreen reached out to spokespersons of various multiplexes in Tamil Nadu to ask if a similar development could emerge in the state. While most refused to comment on the topic, Ramanathan, CEO of Abirami Multiplex, said the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners’ Association of which he is the president, would soon hold a meeting to discuss the issue. Despite repeated attempts, members of the Tamil Film Producers Council remained unavailable for comment.
Trade analyst and film critic Sreedhar Pillai says this is definitely not good news for multiplexes. “Almost one third of their revenue comes from the beverages and food sold. It will be difficult for them to survive without this. Even when they say MRP, you must understand that multiplexes make their own food and beverages, and they decide the price. Bringing food from outside will also lead to problems with maintaining the hygiene and cleanliness of theatres. Each state has its own rules, and what works in one will not work in the other,” he says.
What do moviegoers say?
Most moviegoers believe a similar rule should be implemented in Chennai as well. Deepan Chakkravarthi, a journalist from Chennai, said that while the state government should allow outside food in theatres, movie patrons should also act responsibly. “People shouldn’t bring a full meal or alcohol to theatres, he said.
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Movie buff Athira Muraleedharan feels that “People should be given the choice of what to eat and what to buy”. There are also those such as Vaishnavi Sathish – an entrepreneur – who doesn’t want to take food from outside, but believes packaged food should be more reasonably priced. “When the actual food costs only Rs 100, we are charged Rs 250 or Rs 300 for it. That is unfair,” she said.
Entrepreneur Manikandan Muthuswamy said there used to be a time when he used to take his family regularly to the movies, but had to cut down the frequency due to rising ticket and food costs. “We are a family of four and it costs approximately Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 for a single movie. I was once very fond of watching movies in the theatre; not any more.”