Come August, moviegoers in Maharashtra will be allowed to carry their own food items inside cinema halls, a senior MLA of state assembly said. He also added that food items in the theatres will be sold at MRP from 1 August.
During a state assembly meeting on Friday, 13 June, in Nagpur, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Maharashtra’s Minister of Information and Technology, Ravindra Chauhan, said that after August, moviegoers will be allowed to carry packaged food inside movie theatres.
The decision comes in the wake of pressure from Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who in a series of protests sought an explanation for the exuberant prices charged for food at movie theatres.
Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, Dhananjay Munde, confirmed both the developments in a tweet.
“There are no restrictions on bringing food items inside multiplexes across Maharashtra. Strict action will be taken against those who do not allow this. Also, from 1 August, food articles will be sold at MRP,” Munde wrote in a tweet.
Speaking to The Quint, an owner of a theatre who didn’t wish to be named, said that the Multiplex Association of India would meet on Friday to further discuss these new changes announced during the state assembly meeting.
Last week, Thackeray had met with the owners of movie theatres across Maharashtra to discuss the high pricing of packaged food at theatres.
On 29 June, MNS workers thrashed a manager of a theatre in a posh area of Pune. Former party corporator, Kishor Shinde, admitted that he thrashed the manager, due to high prices charged on packaged food.
This new announcement, however, may lead to an increase in the price of movie tickets.
Not Aware of Any Such Notification: MAI
However, Multiplex Association of India (MAI) clarified saying,”none of the multiplex cinema theatres operated by any of our members have received any order, notification or communication to this effect from the Government of Maharashtra or any other regulatory authority.”
In an official statement, MAI also said a PIL on a similar issue has been filed in the Bombay High Court in which it has been joined in as a party.
Mr Deepak Asher, President is the Multiplex Association of India said, “Since the matter is currently sub-judice, and since we have no other formal communication from any regulatory authority, we would not like to comment any further on the matter.”
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