Ramesh Sippy made Sholay (1975), one of the greatest films of all time. As the film completed 50 years on August 15, Bollywood Hungama spoke to the blockbuster filmmaker and also asked him about the present-day situation of Bollywood films.
EXCLUSIVE: Ramesh Sippy SLAMS high ticket prices in theatres: “If Sholay had released in today’s times, minimum ticket price would have been Rs. 200; it WOULDN’T have got repeat audience”
When asked if he watches the film in cinemas, he replied, “Yes, I do. When a good film is released, I always try to go and watch it in the theatres.”
What has gone wrong with our films? Ramesh Sippy explained, “Because of some good material coming on OTT, some people think, ‘Why should we go to the theatre?’. Also, the amount of money one has to shell to watch a film is quite high. If a family of 4-5 people have to watch a film, then they’ll spend a minimum Rs. 4,000-Rs. 5,000 on tickets and snacks. It’s hard for an Indian family to pay that kind of money. That’s the reason there’s no repeat audience. Once in a while, multiplexes decide to sell tickets the whole day for Rs. 99. Then, the shows are full from morning to night! But I think it’s time they all had a second look.”
Ramesh Sippy clarified, “This is my personal feeling. Economics is a different thing. They know what their problems are, how much is the cost of maintenance and other costs, etc.”
Even when Sholay was originally released, theatres used to increase prices but they were never out of reach for the common man. In the present-day, ticket rates go high exponentially during event films. Ramesh Sippy agreed and remarked, “When Sholay was released, the prices were Rs. 2, 3 and 4! In today’s times, the price for a ticket of Sholay would have been a minimum of Rs. 200! The cost would have gone to Rs. 400 and Rs. 800 in some theatres. As a result, Sholay wouldn’t have then got a repeat audience. The figure would have still been higher because of the price. But that’s not real. The number of people watching the film is also important.”
It is also said that songs aren’t working as well and that also keeps the audience away. Ramesh Sippy stated, “Yes, because running around trees is no longer acceptable. We have matured as an audience. But I think by any large, we have an enthusiastic audience. For a good film, they’ll definitely come to the cinemas.”
More Pages: Sholay Box Office Collection
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