Outside food gives multiplexes the jitters; PVR, Inox Leisure shares fall

Multiplexes have been trying to grow their F&B offerings by experimenting with cuisines and products

Share prices of several multiplex companies fell sharply after a Maharashtra minister stated in the Assembly on Friday the government would allow people to carry outside food into cinema theatres. The move, if implemented, could severely hit cinema theatre operators, as sales of food and beverages contribute a sizable chunk to their revenues and profits.  

Shares of PVR and Inox Leisure plunged 13.1 per cent and 5.43 per cent, respectively, on the BSE. The share price of Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts, which runs the Mukta A2 chain of multiplexes, also fell but recovered later to end the day with a