'Will examine if uniform movie ticket rates can be reintroduced': Karnataka Minister G Parameshwara

Bengaluru: The government will examine the possibility of reintroducing uniform ticket prices in multiplexes across the state, Home Minister G Parameshwara told the Legislative Council on Thursday.

Replying to JD(S) member Govindraju's query during the Question Hour, Parameshwara said that at present the state follows the system of theatre owners fixing ticket prices. But there is no hard and fast rule that the state cannot intervene in the issue as the government has all the rights to intervene and control prices of any commodity including movie tickets, he said.  

"I have no clue why the state government has not interfered till now, although Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had intervened, capped the ticket rate in multiplexes at Rs 200 in 2017 and an order was issued during his previous tenure as the CM," the home minister said.

He further said the government had to withdraw the order after multiplex owners got a stay from the court. "After the owners succeeded in getting a stay and the order was withdrawn, they continued fixing the ticket prices in the state," Parameshwara said.

In his written reply to Govindraju,  the minister said his department has not received any petition so far demanding the state government to implement uniform pricing. He also stated that his department has not received any complaints with regard to theatre owners increasing the ticket price in the range of Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 whenever movies from other languages are released in the state.

"With multiplexes having multiple screens, the home department has also not received any complaints about them denying screening of Kannada movies in the state,"  he said.

Parameshwara said that in the last three years the state government has collected cumulatively Rs 74,42,215 as licence renewal fees from 41 multiplexes in Bengaluru.

Conceding with members’ concerns with regard to unregulated prices of eatables inside multiplexes, the home minister said that there is a feeling among the public that multiplexes are "exploiting" them on the pretext of offering premium services and the state government will have to intervene to tackle this issue if not now, but some time later. 

Rockline Venkatesh, distributor, actor and producer, told DH that if the government caps prices in line with current ticket rates for Kannada films, it will be a step in the right direction.

"Kannada film tickets are priced at Rs 150-200, but tickets for films from other industries are priced much higher. Exhibitors give preference to films from other languages, especially on important holidays and festivals, as they fetch them a higher profit," he said.

Highlights - State of screens 150 single-screens on the verge of closure in K'taka 100 single-screen theaters stopped screening 41 multiplexes operate in Bengaluru

"I have no clue why the state government has not interfered till now although Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had intervened capped the ticket rate in multiplexes at Rs 200 in 2017 and an order was issued during his previous tenure as the CM."--G Parameshwara Home minister