Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Renowned filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia has voiced concerns over the impact of high ticket prices on audience turnout in theatres and the growing influence of corporate entities in filmmaking.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Dhulia pointed out the stark difference between the ticket pricing policies in South Indian cinema and Bollywood.
“There is a cap on ticket rates in the South… Yahan to kuch bhi ticket ka rates kariye, kaun jayega aese… ‘Tickets ka rate jo badha rakhe hai kaun jayega itni mehengi picture dekhne'” (If ticket rates are high, who will go to watch such expensive movies?), he remarked.
He further explained how lower ticket prices during events like World Cinema Day attract large audiences.
“The traffic has increased in every city. So people say leave it, on the day of World Cinema Day there is a ticket of 100 rupees, every movie theatre is full. Why are the movies getting hit in re-runs as the ticket prices are low?”
Several films that initially flopped at the box office, such as Sanam Teri Kasam and Tumbbad, gained renewed popularity upon their re-release, which Dhulia attributed to lower ticket costs.
“Sab films kyu chal rahi hai, jo jab release hui thi flop thi. Kyo? Ticket ka rate kum hai, samajh mein kyu nahi aata logon ko?” (Why are all these films doing well now when they were flops at the time of release? Why? Because ticket prices are lower—why don’t people understand this?).
He also criticized the multiplex business model, arguing that theatres profit more from food and beverages than actual movie tickets.
“They are not selling you tickets for the movie. They are selling you parking tickets, popcorn, samosas, and tacos… aur saath mein tickets bhi bech rahe hai aur unka pura paisa hai jahan pe yeh multiplex bana hai.” (They are also selling tickets, but all their money is actually in the real estate where these multiplexes are built.)
Additionally, Dhulia spoke about the increasing interference of corporate entities in the filmmaking process, which he believes has altered the industry significantly.
“Filmmaking is a hobby; it is not a business. You indeed have to run your house while fulfilling that expensive hobby. And there is no measure of greed here, you want so much, that’s the nature of a person. You want more, you want a bigger bungalow, you want a bigger car… At every level. I am not just talking about the film industry. Everyone wants money more than ever. Such a society has been formed.”
He contrasted this with the South Indian film industry, where corporate intervention is minimal.
“The South is still good; that’s why the corporates haven’t intervened. They have intervened in OTT but not in feature films. They are still the old producers. They work in friendship. ‘Aur abhi South ke theatres ka jo average capacity hai 75 per cent hai, Hindi mein 25 percent hai kyunki vahan ticket rates par cap hai, yahan pe to kuch bhi kariye aap..'” (In South India, theatres have an average occupancy of 75%, whereas in Hindi cinema, it’s only 25% because of the ticket rate cap in the South, while here, there are no restrictions.)
Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Legacy
Tigmanshu Dhulia is widely recognized for his biographical film Paan Singh Tomar, which premiered at the 2010 BFI London Film Festival and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 2012. He is also known for the Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster series and his memorable role as Ramadhir Singh in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur.