It is important that Brahmāstra: Part One–Shiva do well not only for the people directly associated with it, but for everyone in the Hindi film business. Film exhibitors and distributors pointed this out in mid-day’s report ‘Content is the problem, not #boycott calls’ (dated September 4, 2022).  After Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan’s lacklustre show at the box office, everyone was desperate to resuscitate Bollywood. The Ayan Mukerji film saw the light of day after eight long years. Made at a budget of R410 crore—a major chunk of which was spent on VFX—it opened to promising box office numbers, with a gross collection of Rs 300 crore worldwide in the first week, as pointed out by its producer Karan Johar.

But is the audience paying for this shot-in-the-arm? On Monday, a colleague bought a ticket for Rs 650 for a 2D show at a theatre in Malad; stubs for 3D versions in premium theatres crossed Rs 1,000.  “Ticket prices have inflated,” says Kolkata-based film critic and trade analyst Sumit Kadel. “Producers have increased ticket prices by 30 to 40 per cent for weekend shows.” This raised box office numbers, echoes Mumbai-based entertainment analyst Karan Taurani. “Prices were hiked by 35 to 45 per cent. This film has been adapted for 3D and IMAX 3D, which comes at an additional cost.” Taurani adds the technology demands budgets of Rs 500 crore and more. “To make it profitable for producers, ticket pricing has to be higher,” he explains. “The audience is also willing to pay because they want to watch compelling content that is larger than life.”