MUMBAI MIRROR (August 13, 2018)

One of India’s most flamboyant industrialists has joined the campaign to stop multiplexes from fleecing moviegoers. Parvez Damania, the 44-year-old co-founder of the short-lived Damania Airways — one of the first private airlines in the country launched in 1993 that gave national carrier Air India the jitters by offering the domestic flyer four-course meals, free alcohol and unheard of luxuries even on a 25-minute flight — wrote to Mirror to share the difficulty he faced in getting food from outside into a south Mumbai multiplex.

The former aviation tycoon, who said he has been following Mirror’s coverage on the issue, wrote: “[On Saturday] evening, I went with my wife and her sister to Inox Laserplex CR2, Nariman Point, for a 5.15 pm show. I deliberately carried two packets of potato chips bought for Rs 10 from outside.

I was stopped at the security at 5.10 pm and told that I could not carry the Chips inside, as I was not permitted to. I requested them to say it to my cellphone camera, which they avoided. Still, I tried to record whatever I could. A security officer called Mr Shubham said I needed to speak to the manager. As the movie had already started, I left the chips with the security and went in.

During the interval, I rushed back to Mr Shubham and told him I wanted to see the manager. Mr Shubham made me meet guest relations manager Ms Mishkat. I was very calm and told her that they were violating my rights and according to Section 121 of the Maharashtra Cinema Rules, 1966, there was no prohibition on taking food in multiplexes. I also informed her that I would send her company a legal notice first thing on Monday morning.

The two bags of chips were promptly returned to me, which I took into movie hall screen 4 and ate. The chips never tasted this good.”