Chennai: It was something that Tamil Nadu was always proud of, that you could watch a movie in a theatre for Rs 120. That is a thing of the past now with the government increasing the 10-year cap on tickets to Rs 150 from the present Rs 120.
According to the order, base price for multiplexes having more than three screens has been increased to Rs 150. For multiplexes with less than three screens, the base price could be between Rs.106.30 and Rs 118.80. An additional GST rate of 28 percent will be added to the base price.
The announcement comes at a time when the Producers Council has decided not to release new films as the Tamil Nadu government had imposed a 10 percent local entertainment tax on Tamil movies and a 20 percent tax on non-Tamil ones.
The council sought an appointment with officials to discuss the issue and hoped the government would scrap the Act but the state government hasn’t responded yet.
"There is some confusion in the order. We don’t know if Rs 150 includes the 10 percent entertainment tax. We will have to wait for more clarity. For now, we will go with the existing base price of Rs 120 plus a 28 percent GST rate. But the increase in base price will have an impact on the revenue," said the owner of a multiplex on condition of anonymity.
Abhirami Ramanathan, President of Tamil Film Chamber of Commerce, told CNN-News 18, “We can’t say anything now as we have a review meeting on Tuesday with the state government. Will be able to discuss only after the meet.”
While theatre owners are confused with the latest government order, Rs 192 for a movie ticket will certainly not go down well with movie buffs.
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