On Friday, the Karnataka High Court extended its stay order on the ₹200 price limit imposed on movie tickets in all multiplexes in the state. The Multiplex Association of India has moved court against the Karnataka State Film Chamber of Commerce’s decision to cap ticket prices in the state.
The extension comes as Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 is running to packed houses across the state. Theatre owners had hoped that not having a ticket price cap during such a blockbuster would help their businesses by increasing collections.
The Karnataka High Court order
In the case of Karnataka State Film Chamber of Commerce vs Multiplex Association of India, filed before the Principal Bench of the Karnataka High Court, the Court, on 30.09.2025, in addition to continuing the stay order issued on 23.09.2025 regarding the ₹200 limit imposed on cinema tickets, has ordered as follows.
All cash transactions shall be digitally traceable, and cash registers shall be countersigned by the manager of the multiplex daily. The court has also asked moviegoers to keep a record of their tickets and save them for potential reimbursement in the future, in case the price cap is upheld by the court at a later date.
“In case the petitioner is successful in the final judgment of this appeal/petition, all the amounts collected through electronic means (excluding applicable GST) during the pendency of this writ petition shall be refunded to the individual customers who booked the tickets through the same mode of payment used for the booking. The respondent No. 1 shall submit a refund process plan to the licensing authority within 45 days from today for approval, which shall explain the procedure for refunding the customers. After approval by the licensing authority, it shall be placed before this court for final approval,” the order read
Will the order affect Kantara Chapter 1?
Not having a price cap means multiplex owners can price tickets higher than ₹200, which is the case in most tier-1 multiplexes across Karnataka right now. Given it’s the festive season, the high ticket prices have not deterred even the family audiences from coming to the theatres. And Kantara Chapter 1 has reaped the rewards. The film registered 82% occupancy for its Kannada shows on Friday, including 95-100% for night shows in centres like Bengaluru and Hubli. This will only increase over the weekend.
By the time the court rules on the price cap in its next hearing, Kantara Chapter 1 will have completed the bulk of its run. Any refund that could be given to the viewers later would come from the theatres’ pockets.
Written and directed by Rishab Shetty, Kantara Chapter 1 earned over ₹100 crore in India in its first two days. It is poised for a long run at the box office and is likely to end up as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year.
(With ANI inputs)