The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the high prices of cinema tickets and food items in multiplexes. The court has said that if cinema halls keep charging Rs 100 for water bottles and Rs 700 for coffee, they will become empty. However, after this harsh comment, the court has given relief to the multiplex owners of Karnataka. At present they will not have to note down the details of every person who buys a ticket.
The Multiplex Association had reached the Supreme Court against an order of the High Court. The High Court had asked multiplexes to note down the identity of all people purchasing cinema tickets. The Supreme Court has put a stay on this order.
Controversy started due to Karnataka government’s decision
This controversy started when the Karnataka government fixed the maximum ticket price in multiplexes at Rs 100. Multiplex owners reached the High Court against this. He said that it is not within the power of the state government to do so. The High Court stayed the order of the state government, but kept the condition that the cinema halls should note down the details of all the spectators. The High Court said that if its decision in future goes in favor of the government, then the ticket money will be returned to the people.
Multiplex owners had approached the Supreme Court, calling the High Court order impractical. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on his behalf, said that most of the people buy tickets from online service providers. Even if someone buys a ticket from the hall counter, he does not bring his identity card. It is impossible for multiplexes to capture the identity of viewers.
Need to control multiplex ticket rates
During the hearing, the bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said that there is a need to control the prices of tickets and food items in multiplexes. In response, Rohatgi said that multiplexes do not force anyone. People come to watch cinema as per their choice and buy food items there.
Rohatgi also said that if anyone wants, they can also go to a normal cinema hall (single screen theatre). On this the judges said that now where are the normal cinema halls left? The court also said that it prima facie agrees with the view of the Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court that the ticket price should be up to Rs 200.
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