Bombay High Court Orders Food to be Sold at Regular Prices in Theatres, Consumers can get Relief in 6 Weeks

Mumbai, April 5: The Bombay High Court has remarked that food and beverages in cinema halls and theatres should be sold at regular prices instead of being sold at more than maximum retail price (MRP) as is the practice in theatres across Mumbai. In fact, theatre goers have long been complaining about the fact that cinema halls in Mumbai charge a very high rate on eatables and soft drinks when compared to their regular prices.

The Maharashtra government has assured the High Court that it is framing a policy on the issue and will soon release the policy so that theatre halls across Mumbai follow it to give consumers/theatre goers snacks during interval at regular prices. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Jainendra Baxi of Mumbai in connection to the issue in which he challenged the prohibition which is put by theatres and cinema halls on carrying any kind of food or eatables in the hall, calling it "outside food". Aditya Pratap Singh, the lawyer of Jainendra Baxi, told the court that no legal or statutory provision exists on the basis of which one cannot carry personal or self-made food items or water inside the movie theatres.

Agreeing to this, Justice Kemkar said, “The price of food and water bottles sold inside movie theatres are, indeed, exorbitant. We have ourselves experienced it. You (multiplexes) should sell it at the regular price.” The court said that if multiplexes were prohibiting people from bringing outside food, then there should be a total prohibition on eatables. “Then you (multiplexes) cannot have your own vendors selling food and other snacks inside,” Kemkar said.

Government pleader Purnima Kantharia today told the court that the state would soon frame a policy on the issue, after taking into consideration suggestions submitted by the petitioner and the Multiplex Owners’ Association (MOA). The MOA is a nationwide body of cinema theatre owners. The policy is likely to be framed within six weeks, she told the court. The bench then posted the petition for further hearing on June 12.

The petition had claimed that restrictions on bringing outside food to theatres, particularly affected the senior citizens, and those who could not eat, for medical reasons, “the junk food that the food stalls in theatres sell,” the petition reads. It said that the only concern for the cinema hall owners, its managing authorities, and the state must be to ensure that no safety or security rule was breached by the public visiting the theatres.

This is a welcome move from the Bombay High Court and the petition in this case is completely justified in asking for permission to carry food inside the theatre and cinema halls, if the theatres and multiplexes keep selling food at inorbitant prices. The movie goers already bear the cost of taxes when they pay for the movie ticket, so at least they should be provided some relief by the snacks being sold at regular prices so that they don't have to shell out more and unnecessarily. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2018 08:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).