Rs 200 cap on movie tickets | Karnataka High Court reserves order on plea seeking stay on rule

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday heard pleas against the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Rules 2025, which caps movie ticket price at Rs 200 across the state.

The petitioners challenged the September 12, 2025 notification, giving effect to the amended Rules, contending that the proviso to Rule 55 (6) is ultra vires the Karnataka Cinemas Regulation Act, violates Articles 14, 19 (1) (g) of the constitution as well as unreasonable and manifestly arbitrary.

After a detailed hearing in the petitions filed by the Multiplex Association of India and others, Justice Ravi V Hosmani reserved its orders on applications seeking an interim order on the cap and indicated that he would pronounce the order on September 23.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Association, submitted that a similar government order issued in April 2017, which capped the price at Rs 200, was challenged before the High Court and it was withdrawn later.

“History is repeating itself now. Earlier it was by way of Government Order and now amended by a rule,” he said, arguing that adding a provision by way of an amendment is arbitrary.

Rohatgi contended that there is no power under the Karnataka Cinemas Regulation Act to fix a price and it does not contemplate ticket price capping. He further said that the multiplexes have spent huge sums of money on creating cinema halls and that the amendment directly restricts cinema owners' right to conduct business.

Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, appearing for Hombale Films LLP, submitted that a provision is introduced to Rule 55 (6), whereas Rule 55 is in respect of ticket booths and has nothing to do with price fixation. He said that the decision has been taken without any study. “This is a case of non-application of mind, without examination of what goes in making a film and without any empirical data and thus arbitrary,” he said.

Another senior advocate D R Ravishankar, appearing for a theatre owner, argued that price of the ticket is a contract between the exhibitor and the movie-goer and the price can vary from one theatre to another. He also said that the Act only provides for regulating exhibition and licensing the venues where films are exhibited in the state.

Responding to these submissions, Additional Advocate General (AAG) Ismail Zabiulla submitted that objections had been filed by some petitioners to a draft notification published on July 15. He also said that it is done in the interest of the general public. The AAG also cited the Apex Court judgement in the Deepak Theatre Dhuri vs State of Punjab and said that the top court has upheld the power of the state to fix admission price.