It looks like a huge victory for the multiplex chains whose revenue for a large part depends on the food and beverages they sell to their patrons.
A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha on Tuesday January 3 scrapped a Jammu and Kashmir High Court order which removed the ban on food from outside theatres.
Pronouncing their historic judgement the Honourable Judges said, “The cinema hall is not a gym where you need healthy food. It is a place of entertainment. A cinema hall is a private property. It is for the owner to decide, subject to statutory rules. Saying that arms are not allowed or that no discrimination on the basis of caste or gender can be there, is fine. But how can the High Court say that they can bring any food inside cinema halls?”
Justice Chandrachud also lightened the atmosphere speaking on patrons at the cinemas wiping their sticky fingers on their seats after eating jalebis and leaving bones in the theatre after gorging on tandoori chicken, if they are allowed to bring their own food.
A clean victory for the multiplexes , and one which is likely to increase the waning footfalls in the movie theatres.
