Will The ‘Caramelised Popcorn’ Going To Throw Chilly On The Wounds Of Already Suffering Bollywood?

2024 marked a heart-wrenching year for celestial Bollywood, as the once-glittering industry faced one of its most challenging phases. The magic of celebrity studded cinema seemed to fade from those iconic silver screens that had captivated generations of Indians, as the Box office numbers told a devastating story. Whether it is ‘The’ star power or budget, film after film struggled to find an audience. Even releases from industry stalwarts that once guaranteed packed houses now played to half-empty theatres. The industry watched helplessly as production houses, built over decades with passion and dedication, struggled to stay afloat.

According to Sacnilk, a box office research data firm, the total gross box office collection in 2024 to date is Rs 10754 crore. This is an 18.2% fall when compared to the total gross box office collection of Rs 13161 crore in 2023. Understandably, the fall is steeper when one takes into account the gross box office collection of Hindi films. The gross box office collection of Hindi films fell by 25% to Rs 4534.2 crore in 2024 when compared to 2023.

“Common reason must triumph,” stated Ram Mirchandani, the founder of the production company Rampage Motion Pictures. Costs must now be the main focus. Together, actors, filmmakers, and other creatives need to consider their compensation in a practical manner. Creating a movie that is profitable requires a lot of work.

The over-budgeting and poorly written scripts in Bollywood in 2024 seemed not enough and hence entered another slash, the high-taxed popcorn, which is going to be another cause people will walk away from PVRs.

In the world, there are two types of individuals. There are some who prefer to watch movies in solitude and others who look at the screen and require the crunch of a fistful of popcorn to stimulate their taste receptors. Large multiplex chains have recently stated that the freshly popped tubs would continue to operate normally and that the tax structure change only applies to packaged popcorn. However, even in the absence of a new tax, moviegoers have long been concerned about food and drinks (F&B).

Let’s explore how these taxes are supposed to damage the simple act of watching a Bollywood film into an exercise in financial planning. Navendra Singh, AGM at a leading real estate firm, says, “Today, I am paying more than two times the money I incur on ticket prices and food and beverages. I have to plan my theatre outings carefully. It is no longer a weekend ritual.”

According to various estimates, movie ticket prices in multiplexes could be in the range of Rs 260-350, depending on a film’s budget, star cast and the response the film’s trailer has received. A medium-sized tub of popcorn could cost anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 500, higher than the average ticket price in multiplexes, which, in the case of PVR Inox, the segment leader among multiplexes, was Rs 257 last quarter.

Soft drinks may be charged in the range of Rs 200-300, with combo packs starting at Rs 600. This means that for a middle-class family of four, the entire movie-hall experience can be prohibitively expensive. In such a case, the caramel popcorn is probably going to taste bitter for many. It will certainly impact the large audience seeking affordable movie-going experiences.

Let me give you a hint of a conversation between a common man and a theatre attendant-

• The theatre attendant- “Sir, would you like regular or caramel popcorn?”
• The common Indian- “What’s the difference?”
• An Uncomfortable response from the former- “Well, one will merely dent your wallet, while the other might require a small loan. But hey, at least you’ll have something sweet to cry into when the hero breaks into his fifth song!”

The timing is impeccable, really. Just when Bollywood was running out of ways to test our patience with three-hour-long movies about nothing (or horribly Diwali pataka scene in the name of VFX from Brahmastra to morally unethical Animal), the government stepped in to add another layer of entertainment, with astronomical snack prices! Because what’s a four-thousand-rupee movie date without the thrill of mortgaging your future for some caramelised corn kernels?

Can we gauge a brilliant psychology at play here? The higher the popcorn prices, the more likely you are to savour every single kernel, thus distracting you from questioning why you’re watching yet another remake of a South Indian film. Seems like it’s not just taxation – it’s audience engagement strategy! And let’s not overlook the educational value here. Parents can now teach their children important life lessons right at the movie theatre: “Dear Child, this is why you need to study hard and get a good job – so you can afford both the movie ticket AND popcorn when you grow up!”

The future possibilities are endless. Perhaps we’ll soon see:

1. – Different tax rates based on which row you’re sitting in
2. – A luxury tax on movies longer than three hours
3. – Special GST slabs for films with more than five song-and-dance numbers
4. – Premium rates for films featuring nepo kids! Ah, this will be something our famous Ms Minister from Mandi, Himachal, will debate about! 
5. – Extra charges for movies that make absolutely no sense- can work as a refund to frustrated cinema lovers who want some real content!

Sometimes, small and less can be good, be it tax or mid-sized budget films. 

How enormous tax has curbed consumer spending is indeed in itself a gigantic topic to debate, for which this is perhaps not the correct article. But all we need to accept sometimes that lesser is also good! ‘A positive development that sums up 2024 is the fading influence of stars in attracting audiences to theatres and the unexpected successes of films that were not headlined by big and marquee star names in the industry. In fact, 2024 has been a year that is defined by the success of mid-budget films such as Munjya, Shaitaan, and Stree 2. These films are a quintessential example of stories told well that found huge acceptance among audiences across states.’ 

Most of the big stars in Bollywood are over the hill and audiences don’t want to see 50 plus heroes chasing 20 plus heroines. Time now for new young faces to be given chance in lower budgeted films to make the films profitable . However, the new hero here became the ‘caramelised popcorn’! Ah, dare not to forgot the extra pay that you will burn your pocket if you try to wear that little bit expensive, elegant apparel to your movie date!

In conclusion, we should all be grateful for this innovative approach to taxation that ensures watching a movie remains a memorable experience – if only because of the lasting impact on our bank accounts. Because nothing says “world’s largest democracy” quite like having to take out a personal loan to enjoy some popcorn with your three hours of escapist entertainment.