Vishal Bhardwaj feels that the cost of watching a film in a multiplex has become a barrier for middle-class audiences in India, and that until ticket and food prices in movie theatres come down, the theatrical experience will remain out of reach for a large section of the moviegoing public.
Speaking at a THR India panel discussion with the directors of Netflix India’s Lust Stories 3, Bhardwaj pointed to theatrical ticket pricing as the single biggest problem facing the Indian film industry. "The day the rate of the ticket is less, so many people just come to sit in the AC even if they are not coming to watch the films," he said.
He argued that even on discounted-ticket days, where the industry periodically runs offers or reduces pricing to drive footfall, the evidence of people filling theatres primarily for the air conditioning is itself a sign that something in the exhibition circuit is broken. "That is actually pointing that there is some problem in the exhibition circuit of our country."
On food and beverage pricing specifically, he was direct. "It's criminal to have these kind of rates for the popcorn and things like that. How do you expect a middle-class family to come and sit in a multiplex and watch the film?"
The comments come in the context of a prolonged conversation in the Indian film industry. Today, theatrical reception has become increasingly difficult to predict for both large-scale tentpole releases as well as mid-budget and smaller films. In cities across India, a struggle continues to find audiences willing to make the trip to a multiplex, as streaming remaining the more accessible and affordable option for most households.
Watch the full conversation on The Hollywood Reporter India's YouTube channel today evening