The government of Karnataka has decided to cap the movie ticket prices to Rs 200 in all movie theaters, including single screens and the multiplexes. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today during the state budget presentation. The same government, led by Siddaramaiah, had tried to limit ticket prices to Rs 200 in 2017, but the High Court stopped it. Following this, the government canceled the order. On March 6, a member of the legislative council, Govindaraju, asked why the government hadn’t controlled ticket prices. Home Minister G Parameshwara replied that after the previous order was canceled, theater owners kept setting their own prices, but the government still had the power to set rates.

This decision will make movie fans happy and also benefit the Kannada movie industry, which has complained that bigger cinema halls prefer showing movies in other languages because those tickets are more expensive than Kannada films. To help the Kannada film industry, Siddaramaiah also announced a government-run online platform to promote Kannada movies. Because of its standing in the business world, it can take advantage of benefits from the state’s rules for industries.

Also, the government said again that it will build a top-notch Film City in Mysuru, costing about Rs 500 crores. This project will also be a partnership between the government and private companies, and land has already been given to the Department of Information and Public Relations to make it happen. The government plans to finish the project soon.