Day out at movies gets dearer in Kozhikode
KOZHIKODE: Watching a movie in Kozhikode city has become more expensive these days than watching the same movie in a multiplex theatre in metro cities like Bangalore and Chennai.
According to Kozhikode corporation authorities, no action or policy has been announced in the State to fix theatre prices unlike other States like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Some of the major theatres in the city including multiplexes have unified charges that now range from Rs 150 to Rs 300, which earlier were between Rs 100 and Rs 200.
“It was surprising to know that to watch a film in Kozhikode is doubly expensive than watching a film in metro cities”, said Aneesh Ravi, a native of Kozhikode and now working in Chennai.
“The film Baahubali which I watched for Rs 120 in a Chennai multiplex, cost me double the amount when I watched it in Kozhikode.” He added that this made it clear that to go for a movie in Kozhikode with the family is out of reach for a common man.
“We have no other option than increasing the price, due to the expenses that we have to meet on a daily basis, starting from the maintenance expenses to the labour charges and at the same time we are forced to increase the price as film distributors have increased their share,” said a prominent theatre owner from the city.
After the recent hike in the ticket prices by government-owned theatres, it is for the second time private theatres in the city have increased the price of tickets in a span of six months.