Your Friendly Philosopher & Guide

I have been a regular visitor of Mayajaal – a multiplex on the ECR Chennai – owned by Pentamedia, and I have been watching movies there for the last 8 years I guess. I am not sure about how much profits they make – but then that isn’t anything that I should bother about.

Before the government intervened on the cost of movie tickets in multiplex, they had the liberty to increase the rates depending on the desperation of entertainment seekers of Chennai. On weekdays the tickets used to be Rs 80 and on weekends it was Rs 200. None had any problems in paying. I pity Indians for they don’t have any other mode of entertainment in India.

I went to Mayajaal to watch Kamal Hassan’s ‘Dasavatharam’ yesterday. Thankfully I got the tickets. For 4 tickets, the guy asked me Rs 800. I asked him, why is it Rs 800 and he said we have this combo offer – Rs 120 for movie ticket and Rs 80 for snacks. I said I don’t want the snacks, and he said it is compulsory. I asked what all can I get – he said a can pepsi (which is Rs 15 in the market), one Lays packet (which is Rs 5 in the market), and one pop corn (which cannot be more than Rs 15 in the market). So they wanted to sell Rs 40 ka stuff for Rs 80 – and that too compulsorily.

I didn’t fight with the ticket counter guy - I know he is just a slave working there. My sister and me went to meet the manager. Our debate was – why are you forcing us to buy snacks? If we want we will buy – who are you to tell us what we should eat and for how much we should eat? The manager replied – this is a combo offer we are running, and this will run for the first 10 days after the release of any new move! So logically the people who will come to watch movie in the very first 10 days of its release – will be assholes, who will be cheated, and forced to eat what this multiplex wants them to eat.

We didn’t take his words. We said, if you are running a combo offer, then you should also give us an alternative. It is my decision again – whether I want to take the combo offer or not. And also I said I don’t drink Pepsi or Coke for the last 6 years, you cannot make me drink that shit. For this the manager said, “I will give only you guys an option. You need not use this coupons just for Pepsi, Lays and Popcorn, you can use this to eat whatever you want to in other eateries inside Mayajaal.” We refused to take this option too. We said, why should we spend Rs 320, because you want us to spend - that too forcibly? He lost his cool, and said then you take a refund. And we said fine.

I had lost my cool long before. I said, “I am from the press, and I blog too. I will make this an issue, and if need be sue the multiplex.” He took our tickets, and also the coupons with him, and asked us to wait. Another guy came back, gave us our movie tickets, and also refunded Rs 320 in cash.

We weren’t happy yet. Getting Rs 320 back from him wasn’t what we wanted. In fact we were against getting cheated. And the bad news was – except for us none other was unhappy about being cheated. I could see, the same Pepsi can, Lays packet and Pop Corn – in hands of almost all – right from kids to old people, who otherwise would have chosen to eat something else!

After this particular incident I have decided – not to watch new releases in first 10 days of its release. And secondly if this kind of cheating persists – I surely will succumb to torrent sites. And last but not the least – I will show my middle finger to all those ugly people who come on the TV channels to ask us to fight against piracy.

Moral 1) – You aren’t a loser if you fight and lose, but you surely are a loser if you don’t fight at all!

Moral 2) - Criminals are made, and not born