Five well-known Indian filmmakers—Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Vetri Maaran, Pa Ranjith, and Mahesh Narayanan, dwelt on the difficulties facing the Indian film industry, with a focus on the faltering Hindi film industry, during a recent panel discussion hosted by The Hollywood Reporter India. The topic of rising expenses and how they affect people’s decision to go to theaters was also discussed, since going to the movies is becoming a more and more expensive activity.
Karan Johar, without directly naming them, criticized multiplex networks for their alleged high ticket pricing, claiming that they are turning away customers from theaters.He cited a survey to support his claim that, while making up a sizable portion of the moviegoing public, many Indian households now only see two movies in theaters annually. Additionally, he made the point that families no longer like to spend money on pricey snacks at multiplexes but rather go out to eat.
At the panel discussion, Karan Johar had said, “Family members said that they don’t like to go to cinema halls because when kids say that they want popcorn or something to eat, they feel bad denying them. So, they would rather go to a restaurant where they’re not paying for the ticket and are paying only for the food. They said, ‘Our child will point and say they want caramel popcorn, but we can’t afford it’. Because the average cost for a family of four can be Rs 10,000. And maybe those Rs 10,000 are not in their economic planning at all.”
Now, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) has refuted Karan Johar’s statements, stating that the average price at multiplexes for a family of four is only 15.6% of what he stated. The MAI provided an explanation for the regular pricing fluctuations in their statement. According to their analysis, the average ticket price (ATP) for all Indian theaters in 2023 was Rs 130. Meanwhile, PVR INOX, a major multiplex chain, recorded an ATP of Rs 258 for the 2023–2024 fiscal year. At PVR INOX, the average cost of food and drink was Rs 132. This results in an average cost of Rs 1,560 for a family of four.
According to the MAI, ticket costs vary according to the movie format, day, venue, and kind of seat. Additionally, they claimed that in order to lower the cost of movies, multiplexes run specials and discounts. The president of MAI and PVR, Kamal Gianchandani, signed the statement.
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