For film buffs in the city, a trip to the movie halls will get dearer in the coming days. A meeting of the city Corporation council on Wednesday cleared an application submitted by two theatre groups to raise balcony ticket charge to Rs.100.
The application was submitted by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC)-owned Kairali, Nila and Sree theatre management and by the owners of the Sreepadmanabha and Devipriya theatres.
These two were the first among the old theatres in the city to go in for renovation a couple of years ago. The managements, in their application for ticket price revision, said it had become necessary to raise the charges considering the increase in expenses in recent years.
These theatres had installed new projection systems, 7.1 sound systems, improved seating, toilet facilities and CCTV cameras. Air-conditioning too had been improved upon, their application said.
Though the KSFDC asked for an increase by Rs.30, the Corporation cleared only a raise of Rs.20.
At Sreepadmanabha, since the existing charge was Rs.90, the management sought only Rs.10 increase, which the local body cleared. The revenue inspectors of the Corporation inspected the theatres before according the clearance.
Cleaning expenses
Gireesh Chandran, Managing Director of Sreepadmanabha-Devipriya theatres, said the overhead expenses have increased since the renovation.
“About five years back, we needed to think only about the electricity charges. But now, even the cleaning expenses have increased. After every show, at least six people have to clean the hall. If the waste, especially food, remains for long, rodents could come in. To maintain the quality of the multiplex, all these are important factors,” says Mr. Chandran.
The theatre contracts a private company for a complete cleaning of the seats every three months. “We have to pay them Rs.35 to clean each seat. This is in addition to the regular cleaning. Also, if a seat is damaged, replacing it costs much more,” he says.
But on the other side, collections have increased post-renovation as people come back for the viewing experience.
Corporation approval for raising balcony charge to Rs.100 in five halls.
