Pay extra to watch Puneeth!

When Shivarajkumar’s 100th film Jogayya released nearly two months ago, Sandalwood film buffs were seen queuing up at theatres to catch the movie during its first weekend. Yesterday, theatres screening his brother Puneeth’s latest release witnessed similar scenes. And according to the Gandhinagar grapevine, tickets for the film have been sold out across Karnataka till Sunday — for almost double the price.
Jayanna, the distributor for the film, says, “This is the first time we are doing something like this for a Kannada film. When films in other languages like Tamil and Telugu can get good box openings in Karnataka by doubling ticket prices, why can’t we do the same for Sandalwood’s Power Star? People who want to watch Puneeth will buy the tickets for the film, irrespective of the price.”
The film’s director, Yogaraj Bhat, also confirms the news. “The film’s distributor informed our team about the price hike, which was decided on only because of the craze surrounding a Puneeth film. And according to trade analysts, this film will make in three weeks what Mungaru Male made in 100 days,” says Yogaraj. But isn’t increasing the price of a Rs 60 ticket to Rs 100 a bit steep for single-screen audiences? “When Endhiran released, people paid Rs 1,000 to watch the film. In any case, we are not doing any harm to audiences. Instead, this is a way to compete with films in other languages,” he maintains.
Do other directors feel that this hike is unfair? Shashank, whose next film Jarasandha will see a Diwali release, does not think so. “I support this move as it helps filmmakers make the most of the hype generated in the first week of release. The audience will pay to watch the film. Beyond that window, audiences dwindle and pirated CDs will be out. But the money aspect apart, hiking ticket rates also ensures that it controls the crowds in the initial days and also thwarts black market sale of tickets,” he says.
Mahesh H & Prathibha Joy