Until three decades ago, cinema was the means of entertainment for everyone. Movies catered to all genres of entertainment and almost every new movie would see throngs of people heading to the theater to watch the latest releases.
Two reasons for this were – First, television entertainment had not exploded as much as it does today and second, movie ticket prices were affordable. However, the 90s brought an explosion of small screen entertainment and over the past decade streaming platforms have entered the foray and made it too easy for local audiences to access a whole barrel of entertainment. of the whole world.
Additionally, with the advent of multiplexes and fancy chains, movie ticket prices have risen exponentially, even more so after the pandemic, where for nearly 2 years most movie theaters only had little or no business.
Considering that when the screens opened, it was expected that ticket prices would be higher, as the theaters too had to recoup the losses they had suffered over the past two years.
However, the novelty of going to the theater has diminished over the past six months and now the common man is feeling the pinch of extravagant prices. When it comes to big budget movies like ‘RRR’ or ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ or big Hollywood movies like ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ or ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, people don’t reluctant to pay a premium. because these films are made for the big screen.
However, for other regular movies, audiences seem to want ticket prices to be a bit lower and more reasonable. In fact, high ticket prices have been cited as one of the reasons why several Bollywood movies like ‘Bachchhan Pandey’, ‘Dhaakad’, ‘Heropanti 2’, ‘Runway 34’ and ‘Jersey’ failed to screen. seen so many people.
‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ has seen an increase in attendance largely due to manufacturers deciding to keep prices reasonable. Bollywood entertainment portal Hungama, caught up on filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt for an exclusive chat on his 69th birthday a few days ago.
During the exclusive chat, he was asked if cheaper ticket prices would make more money for filmmakers and increase the number of people entering the theater. Mukesh Bhatt has made it clear that he doesn’t believe him. He was offended by the attitude of demanding lower ticket prices. He said, “Agar aapko picture nahi dekhni hai theater mein, toh mat dekho na yaar. (If you don’t want to see a movie at the cinema, then don’t watch it) What’s the problem? No one is forcing you to buy a ticket. Don’t look at him. Wait 3-4 weeks for the movie to come to OTT. But if you can’t wait to see a movie, then be prepared to pay.
