Karan Johar BLAMES inflated food cost for families with kids preferring restaurants over theatres

Karan Johar, one of the renowned Bollywood filmmakers, has recently shared his thoughts on the rising food costs in cinema theatres. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Karan expressed concerns that Indian families are no longer willing to visit theatres due to the unaffordable prices of snacks, particularly popcorn for their children.

Karan Johar on inflated food prices in theatres

The filmmaker while speaking about the income groups who struggle with the food prices during a movie outing. Karan said, “They went to 100 homes, and out of those 100 homes, 90 said they would watch only two films a year (in theatres). This is of an income group that is a massive part of our audience base. They can’t afford it. They may come out on Diwali, or if they hear about a film like Stree 2.”

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Johar added, “Family members said that they don’t like to go to cinema halls because when kids say that they want popcorn or something to eat, they feel bad denying them. So they would rather go to a restaurant, where they’re not paying for the ticket; they’re paying only for the food. They said, ‘Our child will point and say he wants caramel popcorn, but we can’t afford it.’ Because the average cost for a family of four can be ₹10,000. And maybe those ₹10,000 are not in their economic planning at all.”

Karan emphasized that a significant portion of the audience is opting for restaurants instead of movie theatres, citing the latter’s inability to fit into their “economic planning”. This sentiment reflects the filmmaker’s growing concern about the impact of inflation on the movie-going experience.

Karan Johar’s career

As a successful director, Karan has had a prolific career, having helmed films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kal Ho Naa Ho, and many others. He is currently working on several projects, including Devara: Part 1, which features him in key roles, and Jigra, a co-production with Eternal Sunshine Productions and Alia Bhatt’s production company.

Also Read: Zoya Akhtar urges Karan Johar to stop paying male actors high fees, KJo hits back, “Every star asked me for the same money that’s the budget”