Kolkata: Black marketing is a parallel industry. Blackers, a term used to signify people who sold tickets and passes (not easily available) at a higher price, gained prominence when single screens ruled the roost in Indian cinema halls. The advent of multiplex pushed them into rough waters but the India-Pakistan clash in the ICC World Twenty20 brought them back.
On a sunny afternoon, instead of thronging multiplexes for Karan Johar’s Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921), youngsters were hysterically looking for a ticket for the Indo-Pak clash at Eden Gardens.
The buzz of tickets being sold for black infuriated the bystanders at the Mohammedan Sporting Club area. The modern day blackers are difficult to identify. They are hardly seen chewing tobacco or wearing shabby jeans.
“Most of the blackers are operating through social media,” said Sayantan Guha, a working professional, whose friend Siddharth Sarkar was approached by a website – www.yandex.com – on Friday.
(Photo: Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya/DC)
The website asked the buyers to purchase ticket in pairs, one ticket would cost Rs 5,000 and two Rs 7,500 exclusive of the original ticket cost which is to be paid to the authorised BookMyShow (in.bookmyshow.com).
There is also a pick-up venue for the black ticket.
But there is no clarity as to who are these middlemen. They could be the ones who already registered online for the tickets.
(Photo: Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya/DC)
The counter outside the stadium served the customers who had already registered online.
“Only people who registered through BookMyShow can head to their respective price bracket counter and get their tickets. We aren’t aware of black marketing. We are following the procedure as told to,” said the person (who didn’t want to be named) at the venue.
But there is another side to it. Fans entitled to handsome seats worth Rs 2,500 at the original venue (Dharamshala) had to sacrifice on luxury at Eden.
“I received tickets worth Rs 500. This is utter chaos. There is no clarity about the ticket lottery system,” said Sushant Kamra, who flew down from Delhi for the match. He was originally supposed to go to Dharamshala.
The easy going blacker
Youngsters handed out tickets to friends and relatives in exchange of money. Shayak Roy, a resident of Mumbai and a media professional, had bought tickets for the match. But on realising that he won’t be present due to other obligations, he distributed the tickets.
“I got hold of four tickets from Eden when the hype was just starting. The market rates increased and a friend’s neighbour offered me three times the price. How could I say no? I happily accepted,” he said.
BookMyShow – what they said?
When this correspondent contacted BookMyShow as a customer, support staff Partha Shee said: “Lottery process has been monitored and audited by a reputed auditing agency to ensure transparency, fairness and efficacy.”
What if a member doesn’t collect his or her tickets?
“If the tickets are not purchased by the shortlisted customer, the unlucky customers would get the chance,” he said but any such case is yet to be heard.
