Good Morning India:Good Luck, Omar Abdullah

Media Pulse

Go to any cinema hall in Delhi, especially on the opening day of a new film or in the first week. While booking counters display ‘house full’ signs, sometimes within a few minutes of the opening of the counters, a group of ‘ticket re-sellers’ walk around shouting, not whispering, that tickets are available at a price, the premium depending on the ‘largeness’ of the crowd. Early buyers are quoted high premia which goes down as picture time approaches. Fifteen minutes after the picture has started, and if the black-marketer still has tickets left, he will offer them at a discount. Such are the vagaries of this trade.

There is no dearth of customers for ‘premium’ tickets. Imagine a family of four which has come to Connaught Place from Janakpuri or Model Town, to see a film. They have already spent a hefty amount on transport and will have to pay another instalment going back home with money spent and no gain. They swiftly calculate the amount of the premia against the cost of coming again a few days later and finding the former cheaper, the motivation has been created.

In this case, it is sheer economics that has prompted the sale. However, in many other cases, it is pride that leads one to the cinema black-marketer. There are some people who like to boast that they always see the first show of every new film. There are others who do not want to seem ‘backward’ in their group for not having seen a film within a few days of its release. And there are those trying to impress, usually their girlfriends, that they will ‘manage’ tickets at any cost. For this segment of cinema-goers, the extra price paid is worth three hours of ‘snugness’.

These are only some of the factors that have led to the growth of cinema black-marketing in the Capital. A decade ago, it was not as organised as it is today, and a few odd free-lancers would make a little money in the first three or four days of a new film. Today, it has grown into a massive, well-organised racket, and there is talk, unconfirmed, that a Mumbai-based mafia is operating it.

A senior police official claimed helplessness in ending cinema black-marketing. He accused the cinema hall owners and staff of being in collusion with the racketeers. To build up an image that the picture is a hit, and that tickets are selling like hotcakes, they deliberately put up ‘House full’ signs and then send the tickets out to the black-marketers to create the impression that the picture is attracting a lot of fans. To prove his point, he says that many a time when the house is supposed to be ‘full’, there are many empty seats in the hall. Many of the people present have probably paid extra for their tickets and thus the hall owner has got the proceeds of a full house in his till. That collusion is there cannot be denied. Many a time, a police van is present and a few uniformed men are spread around.

The only difference that it makes to the black-marketer is that he shifts his scene of operation. Recently, I saw ticket seekers at Plaza being directed by an ‘agent’ to the Plaza bus stand across the road where the black-marketer had set up shop with a sheaf of tickets in his hand. The balcony ticket of Rs. 100 was selling for Rs. 150. (On the first day, it was Rs. 250). Out of the premium, the ‘agent’ is given Rs. 2, and the ‘seller’ Rs. 10. The rest is given to the ‘incharge’ who, in turn passes it on to the ‘boss’ who gives necessary shares to the relevant persons. Each cinema hall has its own ‘incharge’ who also keeps an eye out for free-lancers out to make a fast buck.