Bad news for the owners of Multiplexes in Maharashtra because now they cannot charge the people more than MRP for the food items. The moviegoers in Maharashtra will be allowed to carry own home-cooked food in multiplex cinema halls from 1st August. If theatre employees and owners will try to stop anyone from taking food items in the multiplex cinema halls, the action will be taken against them.
On 13th July 2018, during a state assembly meeting, in Nagpur, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Maharashtra’s Minister of Information and Technology, Ravindra Chavan, said that after August, moviegoers will be allowed to carry packaged food inside Cinema hall. He added , the state will ask multiplex owners to reduce the prices of eatables sold inside the premises.
Ravindra Chavan said, there is no ban on patrons carrying outside food to multiplexes but if the multiplex authorities prohibit it, they could face action”. He further said, there can’t be two different prices for one product. The Maharashtra government will formulate a policy to take action against multiplexes that do not comply with the order.
Maharashtra Government made it clear that eatables and cold drinks would be sold at MRP and prices would be uniform in multiplex cinema halls and malls, but it has not made its stand clear on items like Vada, Samosa and sandwich.
On 29th June, a group of MNS workers, including a former corporator, had assaulted the manager of a multiplex in Pune over high prices of popcorn, beverages and other food items inside the complex. Later multiplex owners had gone and met Raj Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai.
Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) said that popcorn worth Rs 5 were being sold at Rs 250 in cinema halls despite Bombay High Court saying that the price needs to be reduced.