Tigmanshu Dhulia Slams High Ticket Prices, Corporate Control in Hindi Film Industry

The acclaimed filmmaker criticizes inflated ticket rates and increasing corporate interference, citing the South Indian industry’s success with capped pricing and collaborative filmmaking.

Mumbai, April 2: Acclaimed filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia spoke about how high ticket prices impact audience turnout in theatres and the increasing corporate interference in filmmaking.

In a conversation with media, Dhulia highlighted the difference in ticket pricing between the South Indian film industry and the Hindi film industry.

“There is a cap on ticket rates in South… yahan to kuch bhi ticket ka rates kariye, kaun jayega aese… ‘Tickets ka rate jo badha rakhe hai kaun jayega itni mehengi picture dekhne?’ (If the ticket rates are high, who will go to see such expensive movies?)” the filmmaker said.

He added, “The traffic has increased in every city. So people say leave it. On the day of World Cinema Day there is a ticket of 100 rupees, every movie theatre is full. Why are the movies getting hit in re-runs as the tickets prices are low?”

Several films like Sanam Teri Kasam, the 2016 romantic drama which made its grand return to theatres on February 7, 2025, and Sohum Shah and Aanand L Rai’s Tumbbad, re-released on September 13, 2024, received widespread appreciation from audiences.

Citing the reason, Dhulia said:

“Sab films kyu chal rahi hai, jo jab release hui thi flop thi. Kyo? Ticket ka rate kum hai, samajh mein kyu nahi aata logon ko?”
(Why are all the films doing well which were flops when they were released? Why? Ticket rates are low. Why don’t people understand?)

He spoke about the importance of lowering ticket prices:

“They are not selling you tickets for the movie.

They are selling you parking tickets, popcorn, samosas, and tacos… aur saath mein tickets bhi bech rahe hai aur unka pura paisa hai jahan pe yeh multiplex bana hai…”
(And they are also selling tickets. All their money is in the real estate where this multiplex is made.)

Dhulia also addressed the growing interference of corporates and how it impacts filmmaking:

“Filmmaking is a hobby; it is not a business. You indeed have to run your house while fulfilling that expensive hobby. And there is no measure of greed here, you want so much, that’s the nature of a person. You want more, you want a bigger bungalow, you want a bigger car… At every level. I am not just talking about the film industry. Everyone wants money more than ever. Such a society has been formed.”

He added:

“Earlier, there used to be 2-3 people who used to make the film. If there was any problem… to producer ke kandhe par haath daala lawn mein ghum gaye problem solve…”
(…you’d just put a hand on the producer’s shoulder and take a walk on the lawn to solve it.)

“Here, there are corporates. He will go to the legal department; he will go to the budget department; he will go here, he will go there. If you see the end titles of the film, the credits don’t end. There are names of such people who have nothing to do with the film. So, the corporates came and destroyed the film industry.”

He contrasted this with the South Indian industry:

“The South is still good; that’s why the corporates haven’t intervened. They have intervened in OTT but not in feature films. They are still the old producers. They work in friendship. Aur abhi South ke theatres ka jo average capacity hai 75 per cent hai, Hindi mein 25 percent hai kyunki vahan ticket rates par cap hai, yahan pe to kuch bhi kariye aap…”

On the work front, Tigmanshu Dhulia has garnered international recognition with the biographical film Paan Singh Tomar, which premiered at the 2010 BFI London Film Festival. The film later won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 2012. He also earned acclaim for Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster and is widely recognized for his portrayal of Ramadhir Singh in Anurag Kashyap’s cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur.