Karnataka high court stays capping of movie ticket prices at Rs 200

BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday stayed a government order capping the prices of movie tickets at Rs 200 per head. The court was hearing a plea by the multiplex association questioning the government’s move.

A bench of Justice Ravi Hosamani, which heard the petition, stayed the government order and put off further hearing. The state government has reduced theatre ticket prices and issued a notification to implement a uniform rate in theatres and multiplexes.

However, the Multiplex Association has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the government order and has approached the high court. The association has contended that the government’s notification to implement a uniform rate of Rs 200 in multiplexes will result in losses for them, and screening movies at Rs 200 will be unsustainable.

In July, the Karnataka government issued a draft notification proposing amendments to the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 2014, introducing a cap on cinema ticket prices across the state. The draft rules had set a maximum ticket price of Rs 200 per show, inclusive of entertainment tax, for all films and theatres regardless of whether they are multiplexes or not, regardless of the film’s language.

The proposal came under the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Rules, 2025, and was released by the Home Department in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 19 of the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1964. “In rule 55, in sub-rule (6), the following proviso shall be inserted… ‘Provided that the cost of the ticket of each show in all theatres of the state, including multiplexes, for all language films shall not exceed Rs . 200 inclusive of entertainment tax,” the draft notification read.

Additionally, the proposed amendment included the omission of Rule 146 from the existing 2014 rules. “In the said rules, rule 146 and the entries relating thereto shall be omitted,” it said.