Salman Khan plans to start chain of theatres and reduce ticket prices

A Salman Khan film is never short of screen presence, but the actor seems to disagree. At a recent meet with the press during the launch of a jewellery line in Delhi, Khan expressed disappointment at the lack of cinema halls in the country. He suggested the need to open more theatres in the outskirts of cities. 

The Dabanng star said, "There are very few cinema halls in India and we can still do another ten thousand plus cinema halls in this country. In the main city, with all the real estate price and other things, I think they will rather make a office. So, whatever cinema has to be built, they will have to be built on the outskirts and that is where they should have to be built actually." 

The actor also suggested that surging ticket prices are a reason for the growing disinterest in films. He said, "If a film has to flop, the effect of the loss should be as little as possible. Jai Ho did a business of Rs 138 crore with tickets priced at Rs 200. On weekdays, the prices were down to Rs 100 but since we didn’t publicise this fact, people said, 'Arey is that the only business?' Rs 138 crore is a huge, how many films touch that kind of a figure? Prem Ratan Dhan Payo made Rs 238 crore but since it didn’t make as much money as Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the perception is that it flopped." 

We might disagree on Bajrangi Bhaijaan being a flop, but the actor does have a point. In a previous interview to Mumbai Mirror, the actor had said, "It's because of the economics that Marathi films like Natsamrat and Sairat are getting more footfalls. With Hindi films the numbers are higher but we need the footfalls too." 

Reports now suggest that Khan is planning to lend his own name to a chain of theatres to provide for tax free viewing of films, calling it Salman Cinema. The project has already managed to rope in six single screen theatres across Maharashtra and is expanding. 

Whether the project comes through or not, film lovers will certainly welcome the thought.