Movie-goers in Maharashtra may soon have to pay more for tickets

The cash-strapped state government has proposed to hike the annual licence fee of theatres and multiplexes multi-fold, the ultimate brunt of which may have to be borne by patrons.

You may have to pay more for movie tickets in the state soon as prices are likely to go up. The cash-strapped state government has proposed to hike the annual licence fee of theatres and multiplexes multi-fold, the ultimate brunt of which may have to be borne by patrons.

Maharashtra has about 600 single-screen theatres and 76 multiplexes. (HT File)

The home department has invited suggestions and objections from stakeholders on the proposal, which theatre owners are likely to oppose.

Through a notification issued to the Maharashtra Cinemas (Regulation) Rules 1966 on June 25, the home department proposed to hike the licence fee up to ₹15,000 depending upon the seating capacity of theatres, from the existing fee that ranges between ₹30 and ₹200.

For drive-in theatres, the hike would be up to ₹1 lakh depending upon car capacity. Touring theatres will have to spend more money as the hike for them is likely to be up to ₹8,000 from the existing ₹90 for each year.

For video theatres, the fee hike has been proposed up to ₹5,000 from ₹200.

Maharashtra has about 600 single-screen theatres and 76 multiplexes, while the number of touring and video theatres has dwindled over the years. There are only 67 video theatres that operate mostly out of slums in Mumbai, while the state’s only drive-in theatre in Bandra has been lying defunct for a few years.

“The decision to hike licence fee, which was last revised in 2004, has been taken to mobilise revenue. This would generate about ₹10 crore to the state exchequer. The hike in fee of orchestra bars, discos, etc, was fruitful,” said an official.

Theatre owners said the hike will make it harder to run cinema halls. “The new hike will affect our finances. We are not in a position to sustain any more financial burden,” said Prakash Chaphalkar, secretary, Multiplex Association of India. Deepak Kudale, president of Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India demanded permission to increase service charges to make up for the rising overheads.