Movie tickets are getting more expensive in Indian cities

20-year-old Sahil Arora was eagerly waiting to watch the latest Bollywood release starring his favorite actor.

But going to the theater cost him considerably – a seat at a multiplex in Delhi cost 500 rupees ($6; £4), almost a third of his weekly pocket money.

“I enjoyed the film, but the price was a sore point,” he said. “Popcorn was another 500 rupees so I skipped it.”

He is not alone. Rising ticket and snack prices mean moviegoers are cutting back on cinema visits and switching to cheaper streaming options.

Harsh Verma, 38, remembers a time when going to the movies didn’t feel like a luxury.

“About 15 years ago, me and my friends would go and watch every new release, sometimes every week. Now that’s become impossible.”

Over the past five years, data shows that the average price of a cinema ticket in India has risen by 47%.

The average price per ticket (ATP) in 2020 was Rs 91, while in 2024 it rose to Rs 134, according to audience research firm Ormax media. Between 2023 and 2024, however, there was only a 3% increase in ATP – suggesting that prices have stabilised.

The report added that attendance at Indian cinemas was down 6% in 2024 compared to 2023, continuing the trend of recent years.

One of the main reasons why going to the cinema has become expensive is that the single-screen cinemas that offered cheaper tickets have now mostly been replaced by luxury multi-screen cinemas that offer a host of amenities.

But multiplex owners say ticket prices are reasonable and audiences continue to visit in large numbers.

Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, chief executive of multiplex chain PVR INOX Limited, which owns more than 1,500 screens across India, told the BBC that the perception that people had stopped going to cinemas was “a general idea pushed without fact-checking”.

He says his chain has recorded visits of 151 million in 2024, up from 140 million in 2023, and the numbers are promising for this year as well.

Mr Bijley admits he has received some feedback about high ticket prices, but says audiences keep turning up because they get “value for money” – provided the film is good.

“People walk out after three hours feeling satisfied, they’ve been entertained in air-conditioned comfort, with superb sound and an immersive experience.”

Mr Bijli says many chains like his use flexible pricing and weekday offers to attract audiences – for example, tickets at PVR cost just Rs 92 on Tuesdays.

However, some Indian states have also put a cap on fares, sparking debate over whether this should be a nationwide regulation.

Mr Bijli argued that the price caps did not help them as steady income was vital to maintain and upgrade the facilities.

Film critic Komal Nahta believes that while lower prices may attract more audiences, owners should retain the freedom to keep their businesses profitable.

But he adds that ticket prices should not be so high that tables are expensive. “At the end of the day, it’s the people who make the stars,” he says.

Meanwhile, experts say that although single screens offer cheaper tickets, many middle-class urban audiences no longer opt for them because they cannot compare to the comfort and convenience of multiplexes.

“It’s a vicious cycle,” Nahta says. “Because attendance is low, theater owners can’t afford proper maintenance. And because theaters are not well maintained, people don’t want to watch movies there.”

Only a few single screens still stand in Delhi. The rest have either closed or fallen into disrepair, their outdated structures and antiquated facilities reminiscent of a bygone era.

However, some visitors remember the single screens as simpler, more public spaces.

“There would be 800 to 1,000 people gathered together,” recalls 61-year-old Renu Bhushan. “The crowd erupted when the star appeared on screen, while vendors sold cheap snacks and drinks.”

But this nostalgia is not shared by everyone.

Mr. Verma says that having frequented both single screens and multiplexes over the past two decades, he prefers the latter. “The (single-screen) seats are uncomfortable and the experience is not great,” he says.

Anu Gupta also prefers multiplexes because they offer better facilities, clean toilets and security.

Industry experts say cinemas also face competition from cheaper streaming options that have flourished during the Covid-19 pandemic. As audiences drifted away, many theaters went bankrupt.

“With affordable subscriptions, people now watch most major movies within six to eight weeks at their homes,” says film trade expert and marketing analyst Girish Wankhede.

A monthly subscription to a streaming platform costs less than two tickets at a multiplex. For families, the math is even clearer.

But PVR’s Mr Bijley says that with the pandemic now a distant memory, audience behavior is changing again and people are returning to theatres.

Cinema and streaming have to co-exist, and this isn’t the first time the industry has faced existential questions, he says.

“Cinema has been challenged by TV, VHS and DVD. Every time a new content medium came along, people wrote cinema off, but it survived.”

“It offers an immersive, seamless experience that you just can’t get at home.”

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