Average cinegoers have often griped about expensive tickets at multiplexes, deterring them from enjoying movies at the theatres more frequently. Some trade analysts, too, have blamed steep ticket prices as one of the reasons for many films failing at the box office.
The Karnataka government has sought to provide relief to audiences by announcing a cap on movie tickets at ₹200. But the move could prove to be a double-edged sword, experts warned.
Sure, the ticket price ceiling could lure more audiences to smaller and regional language films which often struggle due to high rates. But at the same time, multiplex chains could face a severe stress to business that is already ailing, with the cap particularly impacting potential revenues from big-ticket titles. Ticket caps could mean a big dent to premium properties where rentals are high and daily expenses hard to meet, they said.
This is especially true for a state like Karnataka where Bengaluru, a cosmopolitan city that houses multitudes of young professionals from around the country working in the many multinational companies based there, has a robust movie-going culture.
Multiplexes warn of business strain
“A uniform ticket price cap, while aimed at making cinema more accessible, could have a mixed impact on the industry, particularly for smaller regional film industries like Kannada, Marathi, or Punjabi. While it may help attract audiences to independent and regional films, it could also inadvertently limit revenue potential for high-investment productions, making it challenging for filmmakers to recover costs,” Devang Sampat, managing director, Cinepolis India, said.
To be sure, multiplex ticket pricing depends on the film, show timing and property, but on an average, even for mid-budget titles, rates tend to range between ₹350 and ₹400, shooting past ₹1,000-1,200 for premium formats (like IMAX).
One of the constant concerns in the industry has been the pricing parity between smaller films and big-ticket releases, Sampat agreed. While pricing flexibility allows cinemas to optimize affordability and demand, a rigid cap may not necessarily address the underlying struggles of smaller films. Instead, industry-led strategies such as dynamic pricing, promotional discounts, and dedicated screening slots could be more effective in ensuring that regional and independent films get the visibility they deserve.
“Additionally, pricing caps could put pressure on multiplexes to prioritize tentpole films in major languages like Hindi, Telugu, or Tamil, which tend to drive higher footfall. A sustainable approach would involve a balanced pricing model that ensures accessibility for audiences while preserving the economic viability of films across all scales and languages. The key is to encourage diversity in content without compromising the industry’s long-term sustainability,” Sampat said.
Limited impact on movie-going trends
Entertainment industry experts emphasize that ease of business is crucial in categories like cinema which aren’t considered essential services in the first place. “People who want to come to theatres, will do so at any price. There are anyway special noon or matinee shows for smaller films where rates are lower. This (the price cap) would be tough for multiplexes to deal with, with their huge overheads, high-cost manpower and maintenance expenses,” independent trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai said. It is important to note that food and beverages (F&B) will continue to be priced the same, making the capping exercise futile when families go for movie outings and find F&B unaffordable even if tickets are priced low, he added.
That said, high ticket prices in multiplexes, particularly for small-budget releases, are a matter of concern, given the possible impact on the movies’ earnings, especially since these aren’t seen as big cinematic experiences peppered with visual effects and high production values. In 2024, average ticket price for Kannada films rose to ₹116 from ₹103 a year earlier, to ₹110 from ₹102 for Punjabi films, to ₹92 from ₹85 for Malayalam films, and to ₹91 from ₹86 for Gujarati films, according to media consulting firm Ormax.
“The move could definitely help smaller language films and make cinema viewing more affordable, turning theatre-going into more of a habit than an event-based activity. But cinema economics are also critical, especially in film-friendly cities like Bengaluru,” film producer, trade and exhibition expert Girish Johar said. He added that higher prices for recent small-budget films like Loveyapa kept audiences away from theatres, aided by the understanding that the title would soon be available on OTT, therefore creating no urgency to go to the cinemas.
