THEATRES

One of the biggest differences between Bangalore and Kerala is the difference in the prices of ticket for movies.

There are two types of theatres in Kerala. I still remember going for the film Achuvinte Amma at Ponnani (Malappuram) for Rs.20. I could have taken the ticket for Rs.10 too but I settled for Rs.20. the seats were wooden and straight. It was very uncomfortable to sit in the same position for long time. But what the hell! We came to see the movie not inspect the seats.

Then, there are theatres in bigger places like the Ragam theatre in Thrissur. These theatres are big and spacious. The seats are cushioned and slightly retracting. But they are comfortable enough to watch the movie for 2-3 hours. The a.c. is decent with moderate cooling even though they sometimes switch it off by mid movie. But no complaints! All these for a mere Rs.40. and if the movie happens to be good one, it’s an added bonus.

And then comes, multiplexes.

I haven’t gone to any multiplex in Kerala and I don’t know if there is one anywhere. The first time I went to a multiplex was when I went to Darjeeling. I went to the INOX multiplex to watch the movie Darna Zaroori Hai. The cost of the ticket was Rs.55. the movie was ok (no further comments). The multiplex experience was good. Initially I felt as if I paid more to sit closer to the screen but later I realized a hidden good feeling in it. The experience was good. The a.c was in the correct temperature and the seats were good. Overall it was nice. The I went to a multiplex in Bangalore.

I am not naming the multiplex. (Clue: it’s in marthahalli). The movie was Forbidden Kingdom. It was the first free weekend after coming to Bangalore and we had to go to some theatre. There is a theatre quite near to out place but a kannada movie was playing in that. So we decided to go to Inno. (Code name for the multiplex at marthahalli) we booked two tickets via phone. There were two options – gold or silver. I was half tempted to ask for bronze but then we booked in silver. The person gave a reference no and a time to come there. We reached there and went to the counter. And the rate was, wait for it……, it was Rs.200!!! Before I dwell into describing the theatre let me tell you the cost details of multiplexes in Bangalore.

Weekdays ---- Rs.70. That is a decent price. But who has time to go on a weekday? Maybe Friday. But then

Friday ---- Rs. 150 before 12 noon and

Rs. 200 afternoons.

Weekends – Rs. 200

Gold class – Rs.500!! (Food coupon for Rs 150!!)

Just for comparison, I can watch 25 movies for the amount I pay to watch in gold class. Or a minimum of 10 movies in a good theatre! Now this is too much. I really don’t know if it is the same everywhere or is it there just in Bangalore? And, what about the local single theatres? The ticket cost there is Rs.50. it is a good setup but sadly very few English and Hindi movies play there.

Ok, now back to INNO description. I will generalize it to cater for the other hi-fi multiplexes here. This is the usual procedure. All sort of people come in after rigorous checking and get inside the theatre lobby. There are lots of food stalls there. Next step is to order something. The popcorn costs Rs.50 and the Pepsi costs Rs.60. the same thing in Kerala cost around Rs.10 and Rs.20. some people even take food in trays to the theatre. So overall the total cost of food comes around to Rs.150. We didn’t have anything from there. (Mainly because we didn’t have any extra cash with us at that point).

There is one more checking when we get into the theatre. The theatre is beautiful with silk drapings all over the place giving it a royal look. The seats are wide and comfortable and it has cup holder in it. The sound and video quality is same as that of any normal theatre. When it was time for interval some people came and asked if we want anything to eat. It was like a hotel and they were the waiters. When I thought of the Rs.50 popcorn I said no. the remainder of the movie was good and we came back happy because of the film and sad because of the theatre.