Cap on movie tickets: HC declines to stay interim relief, but expands order

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday declined to stay a single judge order by which the court stayed operation of the state’s notification capping movie ticket prices at Rs 200.

Justice Ravi V Hosmani had, on September 23, passed the interim order on petitions filed by Multiplex Association of India and others including movie producers. The petitions prayed for setting aside the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Rules, 2025, notified on September 12, and had also sought an interim stay on the price cap arguing it as being violative of the Constitution.

The Karnataka State Film Chamber of Commerce challenged the stay. A vacation bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj and Justice Rajesh Rai K, declined to stay the interim order, but expanded the single judge’s order “to protect the interests of all concerned.”


The bench directed Multiplex Association of India and its members to maintain accounts of every ticket sold (minus GST) and keep track of the bookings made via cash and online.

In the event the petitioners before the single judge (Multiplex Association) failed in their legal challenge and the notification survived, those who booked tickets online (electronically) can receive a refund of the differential amount. As for the differential amount collected in cash, it could be put to public use in a manner the court would decide later. The multiplexes and cinema halls, however, could retain the amount if they succeed in the case.

The court directed the Multiplex Association of India to maintain a periodic statement of accounts and file it monthly with the licensing authority. The division bench posted the writ appeal for hearing on November 25.

The Multiplex Association of India has maintained capping cinema ticket prices for all theatres regardless of whether they are multiplexes or otherwise was unreasonable since multiplexes were capital intensive compared to single-screen theatres.