On Friday, the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom prolonged its keep order on the ₹200 value restrict imposed on film tickets in all multiplexes within the state. The Multiplex Affiliation of India has moved court docket in opposition to the Karnataka State Movie Chamber of Commerce’s choice to cap ticket costs within the state.
The extension comes as Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 is operating to packed homes throughout the state. Theatre house owners had hoped that not having a ticket value cap throughout such a blockbuster would assist their companies by growing collections.
The Karnataka Excessive Courtroom order
Within the case of Karnataka State Movie Chamber of Commerce vs Multiplex Affiliation of India, filed earlier than the Principal Bench of the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom, the Courtroom, on 30.09.2025, along with persevering with the keep order issued on 23.09.2025 concerning the ₹200 restrict imposed on cinema tickets, has ordered as follows.
All money transactions shall be digitally traceable, and money registers shall be countersigned by the supervisor of the multiplex every day. The court docket has additionally requested moviegoers to maintain a report of their tickets and save them for potential reimbursement sooner or later, in case the worth cap is upheld by the court docket at a later date.
“In case the petitioner is profitable within the last judgment of this enchantment/petition, all of the quantities collected by digital means (excluding relevant GST) throughout the pendency of this writ petition shall be refunded to the person prospects who booked the tickets by the identical mode of cost used for the reserving. The respondent No. 1 shall submit a refund course of plan to the licensing authority inside 45 days from right this moment for approval, which shall clarify the process for refunding the purchasers. After approval by the licensing authority, it shall be positioned earlier than this court docket for last approval,” the order learn
Will the order have an effect on Kantara Chapter 1?
Not having a value cap means multiplex house owners can value tickets greater than ₹200, which is the case in most tier-1 multiplexes throughout Karnataka proper now. Given it is the festive season, the excessive ticket costs haven’t deterred even the household audiences from coming to the theatres. And Kantara Chapter 1 has reaped the rewards. The movie registered 82% occupancy for its Kannada reveals on Friday, together with 95-100% for evening reveals in centres like Bengaluru and Hubli. It will solely improve over the weekend.
By the point the court docket guidelines on the worth cap in its subsequent listening to, Kantara Chapter 1 may have accomplished the majority of its run. Any refund that may very well be given to the viewers later would come from the theatres’ pockets.
Written and directed by Rishab Shetty, Kantara Chapter 1 earned over ₹100 crore in India in its first two days. It’s poised for a long term on the field workplace and is prone to find yourself as one of many highest-grossing Indian movies of the 12 months.
(With ANI inputs)