It is a common practice followed by multiplexes throughout the country of not allowing customers to carry personal food items and water inside movie theaters.
More often than not, they prohibit food from outside and force customers to buy food supplied by vendors inside the multiplex. These vendors charge abnormally high prices for food and drink items, often more than double the standard market price.
In PVR, a mere samosa will cost you Rs 120. Yes, that’s the price you pay for enjoying it with the movie.
Action Taken By Pune Administration
The Pune District Food Supply Office (DFSO) has decided to act upon this matter. Dinesh Bhalekar, Pune district food and civil supply officer, told Pune Mirror,
“If there is an issue with food items, then they should be completely prohibited even inside the multiplexes. They cannot have their own vendors selling snacks on the premises.”
If you face such a problem, you can now report the incident on this toll-free number 1800- 222-365. The management has assured that strict action will be taken against multiplexes violating the rights of the customers.
Multiplexes Charging High Amounts For Food
With food from outside prohibited, customers can’t help but buy food from these vendors, thus resulting in greater profits for the multiplex owners and a bigger hole in the pockets of cinema-goers, as if the ticket prices weren’t enough.
While there is no legal provision banning the entry of food from outside, multiplex owners ban them citing safety and hygiene issues.
Also Read: CBFC Or Central Board Of Film “Certification” Needs To Back The Hell Off And Let Cinema Breathe
Food or No Food At All
Just last month, the Bombay High Court reiterated that customers cannot be prohibited from bringing their own food items and water bottles inside the theater premises as long as food is allowed to be sold by vendors at exorbitant prices.
It makes sense too. Either ban food completely or allow customers to bring their own food items. If food is a problem, then vendors who are selling them at high prices shouldn’t be allowed to sell it too.
Allowing them to sell their items inside the premises of multiplexes compels customers to buy their food, that too at such high rates, over and above the super steep prices of movie tickets these days.
Not being able to carry own food and water affects mainly the senior citizens and sick persons, for whom it is difficult to eat the unhealthy food items supplied by the vendors in the multiplexes.
With the Pune administration set to take action against this practice, we hope other administrations take note and follow suit.
After all, your cinema-going experience deserves to get better.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, The Times of India, Pune Mirror + more
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