Mangaluru: Kabali ticket booking are under clouds

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 21, 2016:  The  Mangaluru release of Rajinikanth’s blockbuster,  ’Kabali’ is just a day away, but Thalaiva fans here are lost. No multiplex here has announced advance booking as of yesterday, July 20, Wednesday, the Kabalimania has reached its peak in Chennai and Bengaluru where advance booking started.

Though multiplexes say Kabali will be screened on July 22, Friday, negotiations are still on with the distributor for this region allegedly demanding a big fee. The situation may be known soon. Sources in single screens and multiplexes said the distributor has put some terms which are not possible to meet in the Kudla market where there’s no fan base for any film star.


One of the main stumbling blocks mentioned was the price demanded by the distributor, which puts the average price of a ticket at Rs 300 to Rs 400 in multiplexes. "This is too much charge on viewers can max be Rs 190 to Rs 200,’’ said the manager of one multiplex. Another multiplex manager said a Rajini movie is one of a kind, pointing out that recliner seats for the Salman Khan-starrer Sultan were priced at Rs 400.

Another point of concern for cineplexes is the ratio of revenue sharing in the first week. "It is usually 50:50 in the, but the distributor is demanding 10% more. In the Bengaluru market this is okay since single screens are charging Rs 500 per ticket and even multiplexes can match that rate. But the Mangaluru market does not offer us that luxury,’’ said the manager.