Karnataka issues draft notification on capping cinema ticket prices at ₹200

The State government on Tuesday issued a draft notification on capping cinema ticket prices at ₹200. This applies to each show in all theatres of the State, including multiplexes for all language films, inclusive of entertainment tax, said the draft.

The draft notification has been issued amending the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 2014. The new rules will be  called the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Rules, 2025. 

The government has given a notice of 15 days to those likely to be affected by this notification. The draft will be taken into consideration after 15 days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette, the notification stated.

“Objections and suggestions should be addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary to government, Home Department, Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru - 560 001,” the notification stated.

Budget promise

While discussion on capping cinema ticket prices has been going on for long, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had in the Budget for 2025-26 announced that the cost of the ticket of each show in all theatres of the State, including multiplexes, would be capped at ₹200.

The Congress government during its previous regime had announced in the 2017-18 Budget that uniform ticket prices would be fixed in all cinemas. A Government Order was  also issued on May 11, 2018. However, the order was withdrawn following a court stay.

In this year’s Budget, the Chief Minister also announced that the State would develop a multiplex movie theatre complex under Public Private Partnership (PPP) on 2.5-acre land owned by the Karnataka Film Academy at Nandini Layout in Bengaluru. An OTT platform would also be created by the State government to promote Kannada movies, he had said.

He had also announced that the cinema sector would be given the status of an industry and the facilities provided under the Industrial Policy would be extended to the cinema industry by the State government.