By Kavita Mistry 
The filmmaker said, “Ticket prices all across the country have always been a point of discussion, and it has been there for a long time because multiplexes are working in a certain way, and they also need to have their services and expenses covered. They price the ticket according to the film and the footfall, but there is no standardisation for applying the ticket rates, may it be a multiplex or a single screen, maybe it’s for a Hindi pan-India film or a regional film.”
This price capping has been formally implemented through an amendment to the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Rules 2014. As per the new rule, no cinema hall, regardless of the language of the film, can charge more than Rs 200, inclusive of entertainment tax. Deoskar praised the Karnataka government’s move, saying it could set a strong example for states like Maharashtra, where the Marathi film industry struggles with high ticket prices and rising production costs.
He continued, “The Karnataka move is a welcoming one and it will set a precedent in a nice way for other states. If we talk about Maharashtra as a state, we have a strong industry presence of Marathi films. If we also follow the same rule and thought process, I think it will rejuvenate the entire industry status right now because the Marathi industry is continuously battling the prices, escalated budgets and other things which are actually hampering the business of Marathi films or the regional films of Maharashtra. It is very important that we help the industry grow and right now we need the support of the people as well as the government. This move could give a new lease of life for Marathi films and we know content wise Marathi films have been extremely interesting, and people value it as a highly curated content.”
Deoskar further explained that since Marathi films are made on smaller budgets and compete with big Hindi or Hollywood releases, low ticket prices could encourage audiences to choose regional cinema.
“Marathi films are made in a certain budget which is quite miniscule in terms of a Hindi film and we are competing with a lot of other factors like Hindi cinema, Hollywood and other language films. The paying capacity of the audience is very limited. And when you have a high budget other language film, either English or Hindi, and have a certain level of cap in watching a particular set of films during the month and you have the price of tickets of Marathi and Hindi almost the same, then the Marathi audience probably decides which film to be watched. A big budget nicely made Hindi film can give you a theatre-worthy experience for the same price of a Marathi film which would have been made in a small budget. Sometimes, ticket price is the point of contention for the audience when it comes to choosing a Marathi film. So a move like this can help regain the lost glory of the Marathi film industry and I think the government should definitely think about it.”
He also believes that in the coming time, it will be clear whether this new rule helps or impacts regional films in Karnataka. Deoskar, who is the only filmmaker to have two different language films released on the same day in cinemas, including Ground Zero and Devmanus, concluded, “In the coming time, if we watch it closely, we will understand how this new rule in Karnataka has affected or helped the regional films in Karnataka and the theatre owners also. We will have a case study for implementing in Maharashtra and I think it should work in everybody’s favour. It looks like a win-win situation for me. It’s a great move, congratulations, Karnataka!”
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