On eve of 'Baahubali-2' release, no sight of govt order on ticket cap

KFCC president terms delay 'deliberate'

Film lovers wishing to watch ‘Baahubali 2’ at lower prices may have to wait for some more days as the government order to cap multiplex ticket prices at Rs 200 — signed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah — is yet to reach the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), the apex body of the Kannada film industry.

KFCC president Sa Ra Govindu who was expecting to receive the order copy on Thursday is miffed. “M Lakshminarayana, the principal secretary of Information Department, had asked us to visit his office on Thursday morning to get the order copy. But when we went to his office, we were told he had gone to Mysuru and were directed to the Finance Department. The Finance Department said the order copy is with the CM’s office,”  he told DH.

Govindu blamed lax government officials for the delay in implementing the order which was announced in the state budget for 2017-18. “We want the order copy on Friday at any cost and will again meet government officials tomorrow. The delay appears deliberate,” he said.

Govindu had announced at a press conference on Wednesday that they would be getting the order copy on Thursday.

When contacted, Lakshminarayana said there were “some procedures” for issuing a government order and the process was under way. A source said the order had to be approved by Home and Finance departments, which could take two more days.  The KFCC plans to enforce the cap on film ticket prices in cinema theatres, including multiplexes, the very day it gets the order copy.

Rs 1,400 per ticket
Cashing in on the delay in the government order, multiplexes are charging Rs 800 to Rs 1,400 per ticket for the much-awaited film ‘Baahubali: The Conclusion’. Ajay Chandani, a film distributor, said premier shows held at some multiplexes in the city on Thursday were fully booked and that tickets for the weekend were almost sold out in all theatres.

“About 5-7 lakh tickets have been sold in Bengaluru alone. All over Karnataka, more than 15 lakh tickets have been sold. The public response to the film’s sequel is better than that to the first part,” he added.