A casual night at the movies is turning into an expensive headache for residents in Kerala's capital, and city officials are taking notice. Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh has once again challenged mall multiplexes and theatre operators over soaring concession prices and sudden ticket surges during peak hours, citing a wave of public frustration.

Key Highlights
  • Mayor V.V. Rajesh flagged sudden peak-hour ticket hikes and overpriced snacks at city cinemas.
  • A family recently paid ₹6,049 for seven tickets expecting recliner seating, only to be assigned ordinary seats.
  • The civic body is calling theatre owners to a meeting covering parking, waste management, hygiene, and mandatory drinking water.

Exorbitant Popcorn and Mismatched Seats

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, the Mayor outlined the extent of consumer gouging reported by local moviegoers. In one egregious instance at a prominent city mall, a family shelled out ₹6,049 online for seven movie tickets under the impression they were booking recliner seats, only to arrive at the auditorium and find themselves assigned standard seating.

Food and beverage concessions fared no better under scrutiny. Rajesh highlighted the case of a film producer who was billed ₹498 for a tub of popcorn—a sum greater than the admission ticket itself. The Mayor noted that the Corporation has been flooded with grievances from residents seeking civic intervention against aggressive pricing strategies.

While the municipal body recognises its statutory limits when it comes to directly capping retail prices, the Corporation is leveraging its licensing authority to hold cinema operators accountable.

Licensing Levers and Basic Amenities

Rajesh stressed that basic human courtesies cannot be ignored by commercial cinemas. Since the municipal corporation issues operating licences to these establishments, it holds the authority to mandate baseline public amenities—most notably, free and accessible drinking water inside or outside the screening halls.

To tackle the broader concerns, the civic administration plans to convene a formal meeting with cinema owners across the Corporation limits. Although the date is yet to be announced, discussions will extend beyond pricing consensus to regulatory compliance:

  • Adequate vehicle parking capacity matched to total auditorium seating
  • Sanitation and hygiene standards within auditoriums and restrooms
  • Solid waste management protocols
  • Fire safety compliance and electrical No-Objection Certificates (NOCs)

Next Steps for Civic Action

The Mayor expressed appreciation for state government initiatives to inspect commercial venues for overpricing. Ahead of pursuing any administrative or legal action, the Corporation hopes dialogue will encourage theatre proprietors to self-regulate and adopt fair practices.

A separate meeting is also scheduled with film producers to resolve long-standing civic issues surrounding the defacement of public spaces through unauthorised movie poster pasting.