Overview
- A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta warned that unchecked snack and drink prices could drive audiences away, citing ₹100 water and ₹700 coffee inside theatres.
- The hearing arises from the Multiplex Association of India’s challenge to Karnataka’s move to cap tickets at ₹200, which the High Court supported with interim conditions.
- Justice Nath remarked that rates should be fixed and indicated agreement with a ₹200 ceiling, though the Supreme Court has not issued a final ruling.
- Counsel for multiplexes Mukul Rohatgi argued pricing is a matter of consumer choice and said High Court safeguards like buyer tracking and ID collection are unworkable in an era of BookMyShow sales.
- Reports referenced a 2023 CII survey putting an average multiplex visit at about ₹1,800 per person with roughly a 15% post‑pandemic footfall decline, as filmmakers and exhibitors link high F&B costs to a shift toward OTT platforms.