Hyderabad man sells 'free' PVR-Inox popcorn for Rs 400, triggers debate on 'low trust society'

As the story went viral, some social media users shared similar experiences, saying they had encountered people selling refill popcorn at discounted rates, occasionally offering to hand over the bill so the transaction appeared legitimate. (AI-generated image)

A Reddit post describing how a man monetised INOX’s unlimited popcorn offer by selling refill tubs to unsuspecting customers has gone viral, triggering debate over ethics, trust and loopholes in multiplex promotions.

The incident, which reportedly took place at INOX Ashoka One Mall in Hyderabad, was first shared by a Reddit user who said the episode unfolded while they were standing in a queue to place an order. According to the post, a man approached the user holding a full bucket of popcorn and claimed he had ordered it “by mistake.” He then offered to sell it and even attempted to negotiate the price.

“I politely declined,” the user wrote. “A few seconds later, he went to another guy in the queue and sold the entire bucket for Rs 400.”

It was only later, the user said, that the situation became clear. The incident occurred over the weekend when PVR‑INOX runs its unlimited popcorn refill offer. The man, the post suggested, was repeatedly refilling popcorn and selling the tubs to other customers for cash. “Man basically turned free refills into instant cash,” the Redditor wrote.

The post has since travelled beyond Reddit, drawing mixed reactions on Threads.

 

View on Threads

When a user questioned whether the man was selling the old bucket since the staff only refills them, the original Reddit poster shared that the man was indeed selling an old bucket.

Some users shared similar experiences, saying they had encountered people selling refill popcorn at discounted rates, occasionally offering to hand over the bill so the transaction appeared legitimate. “Technically, we just had to pay half the price for the order,” one user claimed, adding that the sellers even encouraged them to pass it on to others later.

Others were more critical. “Low trust society, filled with people scheming to game the system,” one X user wrote. Another commented, “If people are willing to scam the system for making an extra Rs 400, God knows where our society is heading. Please don’t promote such scams.”

Food and beverage sales important source revenue for multiplexes

The episode comes at a time when food and beverage sales remain a critical revenue stream for multiplex chains such as PVR‑INOX. While the Indian exhibition industry has faced pressure from a weaker film pipeline and lower footfalls, especially following the after‑effects of the 2023 Hollywood strikes, F&B has continued to cushion revenue declines.

In FY25, admissions across cinemas fell to 13.69 crore from 15.14 crore in FY24. PVR‑INOX’s ticketing revenue dropped 10 percent year‑on‑year to Rs 2,942.4 crore. However, food and beverage income declined at a slower pace, falling 8 percent to Rs 1,733.5 crore, underscoring the importance of concessions to the business model. Spend per head on F&B rose marginally to Rs 134, even as average ticket prices remained flat at Rs 259.

Unlimited popcorn offers, typically used to drive footfall and encourage higher concession spending, are part of that strategy. However, the viral Hyderabad episode has raised questions around whether such promotions are vulnerable to misuse and how cinemas can balance customer-friendly schemes with safeguards against exploitation.

PVR‑Inox has not publicly commented on the Reddit post.