According to recent reports, Salman Khan is now all set to launch his own private single screen theatre chain called ‘Salman Talkies’.
A Mumbai Mirror report claims that Salman has already started working on the business plan and he has chosen six single screens from all over Maharashtra have been selected. A source close to Salman told media.
“He will be lending his name to a theatre chain to promote tax-free viewing. Tickets for films at his theatres will be available at heavily subsidised rates and free for children. Salman will be launching each screen himself.”
Recently, the actor expressed displeasure over rising prices of movie tickets to as much as Rs 400-500 in tier-one cities.
Explaining the economics of hits and flops, Salman said at an event recently, “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.”
The major motive behind Salman Talkies would be to make movie-viewing accessible to everyone by cutting the cost of film tickets. Also, the chain will focus on tax-free viewing and Salman Khan is targeting more footfalls and not just high numbers.
He was earlier quoted by the Mumbai Mirror as saying, “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.”
Diwali’s two big releases – Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay might be the first two films to be screened at the Salman Talkies inMaharashtra. Salman might then extend the theatre chain to Uttar Pradesh by early 2017.
