Going the multiplex way...

Going the multiplex way...
Nina C George
With a multiplex coming up frequently, single screen theatres, whose numbers have shrunk, are vanishing at an alarming rate. Rex is one among the few reputed single screen theatres that had survived the craze for multiplexes.


The show is sadly set to end. The 47-year-old Rex Theatre on Brigade Road will bite the dust to give way to a mall and multiplex theatre sometime this year.

With a multiplex coming up frequently, single screen theatres, whose numbers have shrunk, are vanishing at an alarming rate. Rex is one among the few reputed single screen theatres that had survived the craze for multiplexes.

A host of old theatres like Naga and Galaxy have already disappeared. The competition from multipelxes had forced Lavanya and Ajanta to go in for a makeover of sorts. Lido and Symphony themselves changed spots to become malls with multiplexes.

Thanks to multiplexes, film going has now become a culture of clubbing, food, shopping and entertainment. The posh setting, competitive pricing and adequate security within its premises have lured a lot of movie buffs, who wouldn't really mind spending a few extra-bucks for that extra bit of luxury.

"It's tough for us to withstand the competition from multiplexes and hence, we decided to unlock the value of our property and convert it into a mall," Kamal Kapur, Managing Director, Rex Theatre told Metrolife and added, “with several screens in the City showing 30 to 40 shows of the same movie, we realised that the audience were getting exhausted swiftly. We were being forced to change the movie every other week. This was becoming a big problem.”

He says that only reasonable pricing and a good flow of movies could keep the business going.

M Bhaktavatsala, former president of the Film Federation of India, who also owns a couple of theatres in the City, says multiplexes have become so popular that they have strayed into distribution of Hindi cinema as well. He observes that single screens are restricted to local language films because Hindi and English films have been virtually taken over by multiplexes. “Single screens are reduced to the bare minimum of Tamil and Telegu movies that may or may not run for too long,” says Bhaktavatsala.

Tastes have evolved and it's been proven that multiplex is the ‘in’ thing. A spokesperson with a popular multiplex in the City says that the trend now is for single screens to join hands with multiplexes. He pointed out that people are looking for a place where they can park their car, eat, shop and entertain themselves and multiplexes provide that luxury.

"In multiplexes the quality of projection, the sound system are more decorative. The possibility of selling tickets in black has also been done away with," says the spokesperson.

Regular moviegoers prefer to go to the multiplexes even though the prices leave a hole in the pocket. “The quality of the movie, sound and the ambience is great. The people are a decent lot. Hooting and screaming is virtually non existent in multiplexes,” says Vinitha Raghavan, a call centre employee.