Movie tickets can get quite expensive these days, particularly on the opening weekend for a major release where prices can go upwards of Rs. 1,000 per ticket, depending on the theatre and format. Anyone who made a recent effort to buy tickets and attend the great ‘Barbenheimer’ event of 2023 will know just how much of a hit on the pocket it would have been, particularly if you watched Oppenheimer in an IMAX theatre, and that’s before you consider the price of popcorn or any other snacks.
The high costs are typically associated with the big theatre chains, and plenty of affordable theatres exist in every major city in India. There’s really no pressure on you to pay big bucks for movie tickets if you don’t want to, and I decided to give both options a try while watching Barbie and Oppenheimer over two weekends. Interestingly enough, I found that perhaps paying more is worth it after all – let me explain why.
Barbie in an affordable theatre
I started with Barbie, and chose an old, but somewhat modernised multi-screen theatre in Mumbai to go watch Greta Gerwig’s film in. The modernisation has come by way of turning the formerly single-screen theatre into a three-screen multiplex with improved decor. There was also a hint of nostalgia here, since the snack counter is the same as it has been since my college days, serving the same sandwiches and popcorn at fairly reasonable prices.
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