Chennai, Oct 14 (PTI) Cinema ticket pricing will bedynamic and it could be decreased or increased not exceedingthe maximum threshold fixed by the Tamil Nadu Government,a topfunctionary of State film exhibtors association said today.
Tamil Nadu Film Exhibitors Association president AbiramiRamanathan said, "we will not kill ourselves by immediatelyfixing the ticket rate uniformly at Rs 150 for all films." A day after the tussle between the film industry and thegovernment over the issue of entertainment tax was resolved,he said, "we need people to watch movies, we will fix ticketprices according to the affordability of the people." With government showing the green light to dynamicpricing with an upper threshold, cinema theatres have theflexibility to fix rates according to the star and film valuebut not exceeding the maximum cap, he said.
"For small budget movies the prices could be now loweredand for big films, ticket rates may be increased," he said,adding that cinema halls now had the option to vary pricesaccording to the demand.
The Tamil Nadu government had yesterday cut local bodyentertainment tax to eight from 10 per cent after talks withrepresentatives of the film fraternity, including producers,theatre owners and distributors.
The government had also recently allowed increase in theticket prices, which was a long pending demand and also fixedthe maximum threshold. However, there will be entertainmenttax and GST over and above the maximum prices fixed by thegovernment.
Ramanathan, who is also chief of the Tamil Film Chamberof Commerce, regretted that Tamil Film Producers Council chiefVishal had spoken yesterday as if "ordering" them to stick toMRP (Maximum Retail Prices) while selling packaged foodproducts in movie halls and on parking fee.
Asserting that products would be sold only on MRP, hesaid film producers and threatre owners are inter-dependentand speaking in an authoritarian fashion was unwarranted.
Tamil Film Producers Council chief Vishal had said thatthe government has streamlined and now fixed ticket rates incinema theatres. He had also said that food products could besold only On MRP.
The ticket prices in airconditioned cinema halls,throughout Tamil Nadu, other than multiplexes will be aminimum of Rs 40 and maximum Rs 100.
In non-airconditioned theatres other than multiplexes,theminimum will be Rs 30 and maximum Rs 80.In multiplex theatres,a minimum of Rs 50 and a maximum of Rs 150 can be chargedexclusive of GST. There would be eight per cent entertainmenttax for Tamil movies and 20 per cent for movies of all otherlanguage movies. PTI VGN APRAPR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.