'Rs 100 For Water Bottle, 700 For Coffee' : Supreme Court Says If Multiplex Rates Aren't Fixed, Cinema Halls Will Be Empty

The Supreme Court on Monday orally raised concerns at the exorbitant rates charged in multiplexes for cinema tickets as well as for food and beverages. The  Court opined that the rates should be reasonably fixed so that people will come. "Otherwise the cinema halls will be empty," the Court warned.

The bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was hearing the petitions filed by the Multiplex Association of India and others challenging the conditions imposed by the Karnataka High Court division bench for staying the Karnataka Government's decision to cap the mutliplex ticket prices at Rs 100. The division bench had ordered that multiplexes should maintain auditable records of every tickets sold, enable the tracking of the persons whp purchased tickets both online and offline, so that refund can be ordered if the multiplexes lose the case, verification of the audit reports by a CA on a period basis etc.

When the matter was taken, referring to the exorbitant rates in multiplexes, Justice Nath commented, "You charge 100 Rupees for water bottle, 700 Rupees for coffee...."

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the Multiplex Association, said, "Taj will charge Rs 1000 for coffee, can you fix it?It is a matter of choice"

"This(rates) should be fixed," Justice Nath said.

When Rohatgi said "it is a matter of choice", Justice Nath opined, "Cinema as it is declining, make it more reasonable for people to come and enjoy, otherwise, cinema halls will be empty."

"Let it be empty, this is only for multiplex. You can go to the normal ones. Why do you want to come here only?" Rohatgi said.

"There are no normal ones left," Justice Nath said. "We are with the division bench, that it should be 200," Justice Nath added. "It is a matter of choice," Rohatgi said.

Rohatgi said that the conditions imposed by the division bench were unworkable. He flagged the direction to take the ID card details of people who pay in cash. He submitted that it was not possible to keep track of the accounts and the identification of the buyers, as most tickets are booked through online intermediaries such as BookMyShow. "The learned judges think that tickets are sold through counter. Tickets are sold through BookMyShow. They will have the details. I don't keep any details or Ids. Nobody goes to the counter to buy a ticket," Rohatgi submitted, asserting that the High Court's directions were "unworkable." "Who carries an ID card to buy a ticket? The High Court says for every ticket purchased with cash, keep the ID card details," he added.

The State's counsel submitted that the division bench has only put in an interim arrangement to ensure that if ultimately the State succeeds, the parties get the refund of the excess price. "If your lordship is paying today Rs 1000, and tomorrow the State wins, your lordhsip will get the 800 back. That's all the division bench ordered," the State's counsel said.

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for another petitioner, submitted that the State has no statutory power to fix the price.

Senior Advocate V Lakshminarayana, for Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, submitted that the High Court's order was a "consent order" that was passed after all parties agreed to the interim arrangement.

The bench issued notice on the petitions and stayed the High Court's conditions.

Case Title: MULTIPLEX ASSOCIATION OF INDIA AND ANR. Versus THE KARNATAKA STATE FILM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ORS., SLP(C) No. 31267/2025 (and connected cases)