Theatre owners revisit pricing plans to woo audiences

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₹99 ticket price for all showings of the sports drama Maidaan, while many independent cinema owners are considering general price reductions to entice their target audience. Initiatives are also in the works to make low-cost cinemas equipped with basic amenities. Some theatres plan to continue offering discounts on specific films in partnership with producers.

“Pricing is an issue for a majority of the audience. They are ready to go for movies at slightly lower tariffs and that is something we as exhibitors have to be mindful of," Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas said. While the company is not looking at a broad reduction in prices across the board, it will look at pricing strategies continually on a film-by-film basis, Puri said.

He noted that the positive response to Maidaan was driven by flat pricing, boosting attendance in the process. Pricing is a double-edged sword across the industry at the moment. There is a section of high-end audiences that are ready to shell out even ₹800-1,000 in top metros, while there is also a need to drive mass volume in terms of viewers in smaller markets.

“These (flat pricing strategies) are calculated risks for us but one will increasingly see more such experiments," Puri added. Amit Sharma, managing director, Miraj Entertainment, which operates multiplex theatres agreed low pricing or one-plus-one offers for specific films are planned in collaboration with producers to drive price-sensitive crowds, especially on weekdays. However, multiplex operators like Sharma believe audiences consciously sign up for the experience in premium cinemas which cannot be replicated elsewhere.