I have been wanting to write a blog on the ridiculously high multiplex prices in Bangalore. I think it was 3 Idiots and Avatar that made me sit up and take notice of the insane prices across Multiplexes in Bangalore. I have been in Bangalore since the last 8 years and have never seen any movie ticket selling at Rs. 350. It is not that I cannot afford it. It is simply not worth it. Paying 350 bucks for a huge block-bluster in an ordinary multiplex with an average seating capacity of 150 just does not make sense. I am not saying that 10 years down the line the movie tickets will still cost 200. I agree the inflation is high but it is not that high. I agree that Bangalore has tremendous buying power but that does not mean you punish the average middle class movie freak.
The same thing happened this time when I checked the availability of MNIK in the theaters. I could hardly find a couple of shows (all morning) that had tickets less than 240. All shows in the big multiplexes are above 260 and most are above 300. I have seen this trend for the second time after Avatar and 3 Idiots release. I do not know the cost-benefit analysis, but common sense tells me that making the ticket price 350 will definitely attract lesser crowd in the first few weeks the movie is released.
Till then, I will wait till I get a ticket for 200 or less. Its a different debate that even Rs 200 is a huge price for a movie ticket. Add to that the costs of buying popcorn or cold drink and you will realize how ridiculous and senseless the multiplex ticket and food pricing has become.
5 comments:
Very true, I think some steps must be taken to stop this.
No cost-benefit analysis can justify this prices. Multiplex culture is driving the prices sky high.
I in fact find it perfectly in line with demand and supply free market. Their aim is not to get everyone in Bangalore (or wherever else) to see the movie. Their aim is just to maximize the profit on how many ever seats that are available.
Right now, there are enough people to fill the theatres @ 350. So, I won't be surprised if the next srk movie opens up for 400 and the one after that for 450.
I agree with the free market system. But in this demand and supply war, there has to be a comfortable window of spending.
They can create a new class (like Fame has 3 or 4 different ticket classes) and charge 350 for those classes. May be keep a fewer number of seats for the lowest priced class. By the way, I still cannot make out a respectable difference between Classic and Europa in PVR.
Or rather if they charge so high for the tickets then they should at least create a free market for the Eatables section. Right now, its a monopoly once inside the Multiplex.
Well, 3Idiots was 300 or above both in Chennai and B'lore, but I could not get 3 contingent seats for nearly 2 weeks...if people buy the tickets@300+, why should they not sell it. The cinema is not trying to minimize your cost of watching the movie!
The problem I think is of too few cinema's for too many people. Effectively, the multiplexes are not competing against each-other because of which each of them are selling at their maximum price/ close to their maximum price. If there was competition, then they would have settled for lesser profits:)
Very true, but the reason is that there are not many multiplexes and good single theatres to screen movies, and people are ready to pay, and hence the title of the post :-).
Really speaking, Tamilnadu (chennai) and hyderabad (Andhra) have upper limit on the multiplex tickets, and hence you don't see price going up so much there. And really speaking, I agree that this is right as per free market, but then also its should be worth it, it should be competitive.
Like autos have become kind of non-improveable, similarly one day these multiplexes will also become the same unless government does something about it. Govt is happy, as they get more entertainment tax on those tickets.
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