Sahil Arora, 20, had been eagerly waiting to watch the latest Bollywood release starring his favourite actor.
But going to the theatre set him back considerably - a seat at a Delhi multiplex cost 500 rupees ($6; £4), nearly a third of his weekly pocket money.
I enjoyed the movie, but the price was a sore point, he said. Popcorn was another 500 rupees, so I skipped it.
He's not alone. Rising ticket and snack prices mean moviegoers are cutting down on their trips to cinema and moving towards cheaper streaming options.
Harsh Verma, 38, looks back on a time when going to the movies didn't feel like a luxury.
Some 15 years ago, my friends and I would go and watch every new release, sometimes every week. That has now become impossible.
In the past five years, data shows that the average cost of a film ticket in India has risen by 47%.
The Average Ticket Price (ATP) in 2020 was 91 rupees, while in 2024 it rose to 134, according to audience research firm Ormax media. However, between 2023 and 2024 there was only a 3% rise in the ATP - suggesting that the prices have stabilised.
The report adds that footfall in Indian cinemas has reduced by 6% in 2024 as compared to 2023, continuing a trend in recent years.
One of the main reasons why going to movies has become expensive is because single-screen theatres that offered cheaper tickets have now been mostly replaced by plush multi-screen cinemas that offer a host of amenities.
But multiplex owners argue that ticket prices are reasonable and that audiences continue to visit in large numbers.
Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director of multiplex chain PVR INOX Limited which owns more than 1,500 screens across India, told the BBC that the perception that people have stopped going to theatres is a general notion squeezed in without fact-checking.
He says his chain has recorded a footfall of 151 million in 2024, up from 140 million in 2023 and the numbers have been promising for this year as well.
Mr Bijli acknowledges receiving some feedback about high ticket prices, but says that audiences continue to turn up because they get value for money - provided a film is good.
Meanwhile, experts say that even though single screens offer cheaper tickets, many urban middle-class audiences no longer choose them because they cannot match the comfort and amenities of multiplexes.
Industry experts say theatres are also facing competition from cheaper streaming options which boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic. As audiences kept away, many theatres went out of business.
Mr Bijli argues that with prices being adapted to market demands and audience preferences, a thriving cinema industry remains crucial to provide quality entertainment experiences. The landscape of cinema in India continues to evolve, highlighting the need for balance in ticket pricing to ensure accessibility for all moviegoers.
