Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai has expressed concern over the reducing footfalls in cinema halls for Bollywood films. He has suggested the price of 30% of seats in a cinema hall to be capped, so that people can afford visiting theatres. He posted a picture of an empty theatre on Instagram and wrote, “Why Bollywood is bleeding today? Coz of heavy cost to watch a film in cinema halls. cinema lovers have stopped going to theatres to experience a collective watching a movie on big screen. Only solution - If Bollywood along with state govts formulate 30% of cinema hall tickets to be capped on affordable price as economy class for more viewers to come as done by TAMILNAD STATE ? A big question today.”
Bollywood Hungama contacted Ghai for more elaboration of his views. He said, “I keep meeting people and they say that because of the ticket prices and other costs, they prefer to watch films on TV and now on OTT ever since the pandemic arrived. So, I keep hearing that cinema business is going down.”
Ghai said that he always shares such feedback with his team and believes in having a discussion with them. “When I get feedback, I discuss with my people in Mukta. The COO (Satwik Lele) of Mukta Cinemas told us that until we balance the ticket rates, the problem will persist. There is a rule in Tamil Nadu that you can’t keep the ticket price above Rs. 200.”
He added, “In Maharashtra, we should at least keep 30% capacity (for affordable rates). As in, if there are 100 seats, we can keep 30 seats as economy class. Like in earlier days, there was front bench, middle class, upper class and balcony. So, people from all classes could come to see a film. At least, people were able to afford.”
Ghai added that the heavy cost in building a multiplex is a major reason for high ticket prices. “What has happened is that companies have spent so much in making the theatres that they charge high to cover the expenditure,” he said. “So, a filmmaker making a mid-budget film with Indian stories faces a lot of problems. The studios don’t have the budget for them. So, the film then goes to TV or OTT. There is frustration that I can see over the past two years.”
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Coming to his proposed solution, he said, “We thought we should approach the state government and tell them that 30% of seats should be for economy class with affordable ticket rates like Rs. 150 or Rs. 200, just like they do in Tamil Nadu. So, a person can spend Rs. 150 on ticket and the same amount on food and beverages. Right now, the cost for watching a movie for one person is around Rs. 1000. We are only asking for 30%. They can do the business they want in the remaining 70%.”
Ghai believes that this will also have an effect on the kind of films being made. “We can then make good films,” he said. “We have good filmmakers who can make good films even on low budgets. There will, at least, be minimum guarantee that people will watch the film in economy class.”
Answering whether he would be putting across his demand to the state government, the Taal filmmaker said, “These are just my thoughts. I have no intention of protesting or anything. This should be the debate issue between the media, producers, exhibitors and government. The government has to take steps for it. Until there is a law on this, we will just keep talking about it. It will benefit the cinema halls, producers and creative people. From the writer to the director to the producer to the distributor to the theatres. Otherwise, the halls are going empty with only 10-12 seats being filled. The new films are facing loss.”
When asked whether the content of the films in recent times is also responsible for the low turnout, Ghai agreed and said, “If you make urban content, you cut out on mass audience. There is nothing wrong in urbanization of content but there should be a balance.”
Also Read: Subhash Ghai to acquire commercial property in Goregaon to expand Mukta Arts after selling his Andheri apartment for Rs 12.85 crores
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