Karnataka Govt Caps Movie Ticket Prices At ₹200; AP, Telangana Urged To Follow
The government achieved this by amending the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 2014.
In a significant move set to reshape cinema economics, the Karnataka government on Tuesday issued an order capping the price of movie tickets at ₹200 across all theatres in the state, including multiplexes. This price ceiling applies to films in all languages and is inclusive of entertainment tax.
The government achieved this by amending the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 2014. Specifically, Rule 55 now includes a new sub-rule (6), which mandates that the ticket price for each show shall not exceed ₹200, irrespective of the film’s language or the location of the theatre.
This decision has been widely welcomed within the Telugu film industry. Prominent distributor Varadha Reddy lauded Karnataka's “path-breaking” move and urged the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to adopt similar measures to make film viewing more affordable.
“I fully support the Karnataka government’s decision to cap ticket prices at ₹200 in multiplexes and single screens alike,” Reddy said. “Ticket prices should ideally be below ₹100 in single screens, as they once were, to attract the lower and middle-class audience back to theatres, especially in smaller towns.”
He pointed out that some multiplexes are already experimenting with ₹99 ticket offers and other discount schemes because they recognize that high ticket and refreshment prices are discouraging audiences.
Reddy also blamed steep ticket hikes for the decline of single-screen theatres, many of which now struggle to stay open. “Earlier, inflated ticket prices were limited to superstar films, but now even Tier-2 stars demand ₹299 tickets, which keeps audiences away and deepens the crisis for theatre owners,” he said.
Calling for a rational pricing structure in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Reddy proposed a tiered system, suggesting a range of ₹75 to ₹150 across two ticket categories. Currently, ticket prices for big-budget films can soar to between ₹400 and ₹1,200, especially when producers secure special government permissions for temporary price hikes.
“These inflated prices scare audiences,” Reddy noted, pointing to a recent industry-led partial bandh highlighting the plight of single screens. “Some theatres have even locked their doors and canceled shows when fewer than ten viewers turn up.”
Echoing these concerns, exhibitor Madala Ramakrishna criticized the policy of uniform ticket pricing across both urban and rural areas. “How can we equate the income of a rickshaw puller in a village with that of an IT professional in the city and fix the same rates?” he questioned.
The growing call for reform, insiders say, underscores an urgent need to make cinema accessible and sustainable — ensuring that movie-going remains an experience shared across classes and communities.