Cinimatheatre :
While our film industry leaders constantly raise their voices against the menace of piracy and urge the public to protect cinema from such threats, why do they turn a blind eye to the exploitative practices lurking behind the guise of “popcorn”?
Why is there a deafening silence when theatergoers are being mercilessly fleeced—paying 20 to 30 times more for snacks that wouldn’t cost even ten rupees outside? Why do our governments, who should safeguard public interests, choose to remain indifferent to this blatant profiteering?
Despite spending over four hours inside multiplex premises with families and children, audiences are often denied access to basic necessities such as clean drinking water. Why are authorities not taking strict action against the theaters that fail to provide even this essential facility? In some multiplexes, the designated drinking water is disgracefully placed near restrooms—an inhumane and unsanitary arrangement. Why is there no crackdown on such insensitive practices driven by profit hunger?
When audiences start fearing the experience of going to the theaters due to such inconveniences and exploitative pricing, can we truly expect Indian cinema to rise to international standards? How fair is it to sacrifice the interests of crores of ordinary viewers for the benefit of a privileged few?
Is it even possible for the film industry to progress when this daylight robbery continues unchecked under the pretext of arbitrarily inflated “Special MRP” pricing?
Ticket prices alone are often unaffordable, and adding exorbitantly priced refreshments further alienates the common man. Meanwhile, those who do manage to make these purchases are made to feel economically inadequate when others around them simply watch, helpless and humiliated.
Why are our governments failing to act decisively against something that could easily be curbed with a stern warning or a regulatory nudge? Who exactly is benefiting from such shameless leniency?
Until such fundamental issues are addressed, claiming to elevate our cinema to global glory remains a hollow promise.
— Appaji
