Cinemas Looting the Public with ₹99 Lollipop?

Recently National Cinema Day was celebrated all across India on September 20th. This day has become a sort of festival in itself, as most theatres offer highly discounted prices on this day. This year too, has been no exception. Movie tickets were sold for as low as Rs 99/-, leading to many people going to the theatres to enjoy the experience at the discounted price.

While it is being considered a welcome step in the right direction to make the public once again fall in love with theatres, many are also raising concerns regarding the abnormally high Food and beverage prices in the cinema halls. People have come out to say that most of the cost of having the “theatre” experience is not in the ticket itself but in the concession and parking fees charged from the public.

While this certainly is a problem that significantly hampers the cinema-going experience of the masses, we think that it’s something that won’t get in the way of our experience if we don’t let it. While the concession prices are sky-high, they are after all, optional. We don’t have to buy anything to consume at the theatre. If one just wants to enjoy the movie, then one can do so without spending on consumables.

The lowering of the ticket prices has been the right step. With various OTT platforms emerging and entertainment being available at the tip of your finger, it has become a tough survival for the theatres. This has even led to many small theatres being shut down. The lowered prices once again lead the public to these theatres, reminding them that no OTT platform can come near to the theatre experience!