A scene from the 2012 Malayalam blockbuster Ustad Hotel, starring Dulquer Salmaan, has sparked a viral debate on social media, over a decade after its release.

The discussion centres around a price display board in the movie, where the revamped Ustad Hotel, run by the character played by the late Thilakan, lists the prices for various types of biryani.

The board displays prices such as Rs 170 for Chicken Biryani, Rs 180 for Mutton Biryani, and Rs 150 for Beef Biryani. The debate gained traction after a Reddit user shared a screenshot of the scene, questioning if the prices were too high.

One user commented, “Maybe they charged the high price because it was made obvious that the 5-star hotel was using the same recipe as Kareemka's (the character played by Thilakan). If a 5-star hotel can charge such rates and people still buy it, why not charge a similar price at the place of origin? However, this contradicts the Ustad Hotel's legacy of being affordable and kind to its customers.”

In defence of the prices, a user shared her personal experience, stating, “I studied in Calicut from 2008-12. Decent chicken biryanis were priced at Rs 90+. The cheaper ones near our girls' hostel started at Rs 60-70. This figure sounds perfectly in line with what I experienced.”

Some users pointed out that earlier in the film, the biriyani was priced at around Rs 30 before the renovation, and the price hike was a result of the restaurant's upgraded offerings. Meanwhile, others humorously suggested that Thilakan's character in the movie was simply trying to hold onto his business while ensuring that everyone around him avoided falling into debt.

Directed by Anwar Rasheed, written by Anjali Menon and produced by Listin Stephen, Ustad Hotel was a commercial success. It won three National Film Awards, for Best Popular Film, Menon won the award for Best Dialogues and Thilakan got a Special Mention (posthumously).