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Lakshmi Subramanian
Lakshmi Subramanian

TAMIL NADU

Cinema ticket prices see a steep hike in Tamil Nadu

chennai-theatre Representative image

Cinema goers in Tamil Nadu will now have to shed out 25 per cent extra for watching films, as TN government issues an order increasing the fares across the state.

A day after Tamil Film Producers council announced a strike against local body entertainment tax, the ruling AIADMK government under Edappadi K Palanisamy has come out with a steep increase in ticket prices. The movie goers in Chennai will have to spend Rs 192 per ticket if they choose to watch a film in a multiplex in Chennai, while people in the other cities and districts will have to spend Rs 118.60.

The revised ticket prices, says the film fraternity, will be a burden for the cinema lovers and will penalise the Tamil film industry. The state government, which has been calling itself a welfare government moving on the path laid by their late leader J. Jayalalithaa, has increased the ticket prices through a government order even after the producers council and the theatre owners have been protesting against the GST and the local body taxes for the past few months. The new rates will come into implementation from October 9.

According to the order issued by the government Home (Cinema) Department, the base fare of the cinema ticket prices in multiplexes with more than three screens and other facilities like air conditioning, family entertainment and restaurant facilities has been increased to Rs 150. In such a case as per the new order, the cinema goers who have been spending Rs 120 for a ticket will have to spend Rs 192. The ticket fare was increased from Rs 120 to Rs 153 after the GST was introduced in July this year. The cinema producers and the theatre owners association have been protesting against the GST and the 10 per cent local body entertainment taxes, since June this year.

The producers council had decided not to release new films since Oct 6, as a mark of protest against the 10 per cent local body tax, over and above the 28 per cent GST. The ticket prices were capped at Rs 120 by the state government till a month before GST was implemented. With the new order, the base rate of the ticket prices in multiplexes and AC theatres will be a minimum of Rs 50 and a maximum of Rs 160, and a minimum of Rs 40 and maximum of Rs 120 in Non-AC theatres. The rates in cities other than Chennai will be Rs 50 and Rs 140, minimum and maximum respectively in AC theaters and Rs 30 and Rs 100 in Non-AC theatres. And over and above this will be 28 per cent GST and 10 per cent local body taxes. As per the order the minimum fare of Rs 10 will now be hiked to Rs 15.

The decision to revise the ticket, as per the government order comes out after a High Level Committee meeting with the officials from the government and representatives from the Tamil Film Chamber of Commerce and Tamil film producers’ council. “During the High Level Committee Meeting, the representatives from various associations from the cinema industry have represented that the film industry is facing lots of difficulties due to video piracy, increase in the expenses in running the theatres and filmmaking and enhancement of entertainment tax from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. The associations have further stated that in view of introduction and enforcement of Goods and Services Tax, they will not be in a position to make films and to operate the cinema theatres at the existing rates of admission and many theatres are being closed in view of increase in the expenditure and incurring losses. The Cinema Associations have therefore requested the Government to revise the rates of admission to the cinema theatres in Tamil Nadu,” says the Government Order. The revision of ticket rates comes just days after the Tamil Film Producers’ Council had decided not to release new Tamil films from October 6. Dulquer Salman’s Solo and actor Dhanshika’s (who donned the role of Rajinikanth’s daughter in Kabali), Vizhithiru have not hit the theaters following the protests.

While the film fraternity has been crying foul over the increasing burden because of taxes, the increase in ticket price is felt to be quite steep by the cinema lovers.“Rs 192 per ticket will be very high. I am a frequent cinema goer. I watch at least four films a month, which means I will have to spend Rs 970 just for the ticket. Over and above the ticket rates, there will be online booking charges and then comes the money spent for snacks and the parking in theaters that are in the malls. It means everytime I go for a movie, I will have to spend Rs.500 just for me alone. If its with my family I will have to spend close to Rs 1500,” tells Radhika Swaminathan, a movie lover.

With the increase in price every cinema goer who wants to watch a movie in a multiplex will have to spend 48 per cent as taxes extra. As per the industry statistics, the theatre owners paid Rs 85 crore as entertainment tax before GST was implemented for the fiscal 2016-17. With the new rates, the theatre owners will pay double the amount, Rs 160 crore as taxes every year to both the state and the centre, in the form of local body taxes and GST.

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