Admission Free?

Ponnayya was in charge of a drama troupe. Unfortunately, the performances were not popular enough to attract a crowd, leading Ponnayya to suffer significant losses. In desperation, he borrowed money from his friend Meyyappa to pay the salaries of his troupe members.

Meyyappa was uncertain whether he would ever get his money back. He decided to devise a strategy to ensure the troupe attracted an audience. He sent his men throughout the area shouting, “Ponnayya’s troupe will present SATYAVAN SAVITRY tonight! Admission free!”

No surprise, that evening the crowd filled the hall. After the performance concluded, however, the audience was met with an unexpected situation: the exit gates were closed, and they could leave only by paying a fee of one rupee each to the volunteers stationed at the gates.

“What is this?” the audience protested. “You said admission was free! Why is there a fee now?” The volunteers explained, “It’s true we announced that entry was free. We never said that exit was free!”

In the end, everyone had to pay one rupee each to leave the hall, turning a clever marketing tactic into an unforgettable story.