Mumbai, Jun 28 (NIE): The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said prices of food and beverages sold at multiplexes are “exorbitant” and sometimes they are more expensive than movie tickets. The court has asked the state government to see if it can regulate the prices of food items sold in the theatres under the Bombay Police Act. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Jainendra Baxi, through his lawyer Aditya Pratap. The petition states that there is no law that prohibits people from carrying their own food inside theatres.
A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai, said: “The prices of food and beverages sold in multiplexes are exorbitant.” It added that they understand when the state cannot permit the public to carry food from outside, but “why can’t it regulate the prices of food sold inside the cinema theatres”?, it asked. Senior counsel Iqbal Chagla, appearing for the Multiplexes Owners’ Association, told the court that the first rule of the multiplexes is that no outside food is allowed. The court then said: “In short, you are compelling the public to buy the food you sell at a price that suits you.” The court added: “Sometimes, some food articles are more expensive than the movie tickets.” The court also said that almost all food items sold at theatres are above Rs 200-250.
Chagla told the court that the association could not intervene in fixing prices by the retailers selling the food inside theatres. He told the court that if one goes to a five-star hotel, one cannot ask the hotel to reduce the price of coffee served, because one has made the choice to go to an expensive hotel. “Similarly, it is one’s choice to buy a glass of cola for Rs 200 at multiplexes,” said Chagla.
He said it was for “security reasons” that food from outside is not allowed in movie halls. He also told the court that all theatres provide filtered water free of cost.
The court has asked the state government if it can examine regulating prices of food and beverages sold in cinema halls under the Bombay Police Act. The case will be heard after four weeks.