‘Will need a loan to buy a cup of tea in cinema hall’: TVM Mayor’s statement sparks fresh debate
Thiruvananthapuram: A statement by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor that one would “need a bank loan just to buy a cup of tea in a cinema hall” has sparked a fierce public debate across Kerala. However, legal experts warn that curbing the exorbitant prices of tea, popcorn and soft drinks at multiplexes will prove impossible without dedicated new legislation.
At several prominent multiplexes, a modest 80-gram box of popcorn now costs upwards of ₹295, with cold drinks, tea and coffee priced at similarly exorbitant rates. High Court Advocate Justin Mathew pointed out that regulatory authorities currently face severe limitations, as there is no specific law governing concession stand pricing in entertainment venues. Under current Legal Metrology regulations, officials can only enforce maximum retail price (MRP) controls on pre-packaged goods.
“To buy a cup of tea from a cinema theatre, one practically needs to take out a loan,” says Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor
Limits on state intervention
Kerala Food Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob clarified that the state's powers remain constrained under the existing framework. Authorities can verify whether a venue displays a clear price list and trades accordingly, but they cannot dictate the rates themselves. However, the Minister stressed that refusing patrons permission to carry their own drinking water amounts to a human rights violation.
The legal boundary was reinforced by the Supreme Court of India in 2023. Overturning a High Court order from Jammu & Kashmir that had banned theatres from stopping moviegoers from bringing outside food, the apex court observed that a cinema hall is private property. Theatre owners maintain the commercial right to set business terms and prohibit external food, and courts cannot intervene in the absence of a statutory regulatory mechanism.
Key Issue | Current Status / Legal Position |
Popcorn & Beverage Rates | Unregulated; 80g popcorn starts from ₹295+ |
Outside Food Ban | Upheld by Supreme Court (Private Property Rights) |
Free Drinking Water | Mandatory following Consumer Court intervention |
Price Cap Legislation | Proposed (e.g., Hotel Food Price Regulation Bill), but pending |
Ticket Price Controls | KSFDC Committee formed July 2023; report pending |
Previous legislative proposals, such as the Hotel Food Price Regulation Bill, were floated to curb dynamic food pricing, but no concrete policy was finalised.
The only major relief for cinemagoers has come via consumer rights intervention. Following earlier Consumer Court rulings, multiplexes are now legally obligated to provide free, clean drinking water on their premises. Meanwhile, a dedicated committee set up in July 2025 under the chairmanship of the KSFDC head, tasked with studying ticket price caps, is yet to submit its official findings.