‘Do you know that ticket prices are starting at Rs. 500?’ ‘Have you seen that some of the premium multiplexes are starting selling tickets for Rs. 1500?’ ‘What? Has this luxury recliner auditorium priced tickets at a whopping Rs. 3000?’
These are some of the things I am either hearing in the corridors or reading about on the social media. Yes, Dhurandhar – The Revenge is set to be the craziest experience ever for Indian audience in the longest time, and yes, tickets are indeed available for a premium. That’s a fact.
Now let me break a myth.
This pricing is, may be, for not more than 10% of the tickets which are on sale, and that too mainly for the first day (for which paid previews are being opened post 5 PM). 90% of the tickets are available at just around 10%-20% over the regular pricing for a biggie. Moreover, the plans have not yet opened from 19th March onwards and rest assured, the ticket pricing would be competitive here.
What a patron is expected to pay is for a premium experience, that of watching the film before the world. That whole euphoria of “See, I was there when you were waiting”. Also, if one is paying anything over Rs. 1000 for any ticket then that’s at a premium luxury multiplex at a key A class urban center. The kind where you step in because you demand certain luxury, certain comfort, certain opulence in the whole experience.
Let’s also not forget that this is a 4 hour long movie, which means you are effectively watching two back to back movies of a regular duration of 2 hours. The more time that you are spending in an auditorium, the more luxurious experience, an extended entertainment and a cushy comfort that you are enjoying.
Also, let’s not forget that watching a movie is not equivalent to commuting or eating which is inevitable and hence one has to pay because there is no choice available. There is always a choice. One can choose to wait for regular days ticket pricing, one can wait for a few weeks for Blockbuster Tuesday offer, one can en wait 8 weeks to watch it straight on OTT. And then a few months down the line, there is always satellite viewing available.
The compulsion to spend is because we wish to spend, and if one does that, it’s through free will.
This is not just about Dhurandhar – The Revenge, this is about any or every movie. Sometimes, even filmmakers rue the fact that ticket prices are high. They quote examples of Rs. 1000, 2000 or 3000 priced tickets being sold at the counter. I refuse to believe that they don’t know that this price is only for a very few select auditoriums presenting premium experience. Otherwise there are theatres which sell tickets even for the first show for just Rs. 200-300 as well.
It’s like taking a journey. It’s one’s choice if they wish to travel by general category train or first class by air. You get an experience, what you pay for. As for the movie, it will pull in audiences at all price ranges. It’s about getting the movie right, and when that turns out to be the case, no one will complain, they will just cherish the experience, and then relive that again – regardless of the price.
That’s how you create a blockbuster.
