PVR Cinemas has added a very familiar Indian snack to its food menu, but the price is anything but familiar. Onion Pakodi is now available at PVR, and a serving reportedly costs Rs. 250.
Yes, the same Onion Pakodi that is easily available at local shops for around Rs. 30 is being sold for Rs. 250 inside a cinema hall.
The price has once again brought attention to the ridiculous food and beverage pricing at multiplexes. Movie tickets are already expensive. But the food bill can sometimes hurt even more for families.
PVR’s menu shows how expensive the overall F&B experience can get. Regular salted popcorn is priced at Rs. 340, while a regular Pepsi costs Rs. 290. Burgers are priced between Rs. 260 and Rs. 300, while wraps can cost up to Rs. 300. A popcorn and Pepsi combo can go up to Rs. 600, while a larger combo with popcorn, nachos and two Pepsis is priced at Rs. 1,070. Now, even Onion Pakodi has joined this expensive list.
Cinema chains have long treated food and beverages as an important part of their business. But audiences can naturally question how much is too much. There is a point where premium pricing starts feeling like outright exploitation.
This is also one reason people are increasingly choosing to watch films at home on OTT platforms instead of going to theatres. A family outing to the movies is no longer just about buying tickets. Add food, drinks and other expenses, and the total bill can become difficult to justify.
PVR Cinemas adding Onion Pakodi looks funny on the surface, but the Rs. 250 price tag raises a bigger question. Are multiplexes making the movie ticket expensive, or is the real loot happening at the F&B counter?
If theatres genuinely want footfalls to increase, bringing down food prices should be part of the solution. A movie outing should not feel like a financial punishment every time a family wants to eat something at the interval.
