Bengaluru:Contrary to the Kannada film industry crying hoarse over delay capping cinema ticket prices at Rs 200, movie-goers in Karnataka today received “Bahubali 2” enthusiastically paying ticket rates up to Rs 1,600.
A visit to various ticket booking portals including PVR and BookMyShow, shows tickets priced between Rs 600 and Rs 1,600 is being sold like hot cakes, giving an indication that film fans wouldn’t mind paying extra from their pockets.
Exhibitors too have shown preference to screen Baahubali-2 over other language films, including Hindi and Kannada.
As much as 75 per cent of screens available in Karnataka are playing Baahubali-2 and in Bengaluru alone, 72 of the 94 single screens were screening it, according to film trade circles.
“As much as 75 per cent of screens available in the State are playing Baahubali-2, and in Bengaluru alone, 72 of the 94 single-screens are screening the film,” N R Sudheer of Vasupradha Enterprises, which released the film on behalf of the producers in Karnataka, told reporters here.
In Mysuru, as many as 40 theatres out 45 are showing Baahubali-2 there. Almost all theatres in Bellary, which borders Andhra Pradesh, are screening to packed houses, Sunil, an avid cine-goer said over phone.
Even as Baahubali-2 frenzy raged, the Kannada film fraternity is pushing for the immediate implementation of a budgetary proposal to peg the ticket prices at Rs.200 in single screen theatres and multiplexes.
“The delay has only emboldened theatres and multiplexes to play Baahubali-2, instead of releasing Kannada films. Some Kannada films were also replaced, to rake in good moolah, in an unfair manner,” KFCC President Sa Ra Govindu said.
He is also pushing for refunding the excess amount charged for Baahubali-2 and other films if the government implemented the proposal. The film exhibition industry has been skeptical about the government’s move to cap movie ticket prices at Rs 200.
There were demands from various stakeholders of the film industry to the government, urging it to cap multiplex entry fee at Rs 120 on the lines of neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
The film has been released in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil in Bengaluru. In a press release, BookMyShow COO Ashish Saxena has said the Prabhas-Anushkha Shetty starrer has broken the previous record of Aamir Khan’s Dangal.
“BookMyShow is experiencing an unprecedented advance booking for Baahubali-2. We have already sold over 1 million tickets across languages, even when the bookings have been live for just over a day,” he said.
