THE SHOW CAN’T GO ON

THE SHOW CAN’T GO ON
It’s end credits for many a film buff in the city. With the state police ordering the movies to go off the screen by 11 pm, every film is a flop show for professionals with late working hours
GAYATRI NAIR & NEETHU REGHUKUMAR


Who doesn’t love the movies? And now just when the stand-off between the multiplexes and the producers has been called off and Hindi movies are back with a bang, it’s time to book the best tickets in the house. But like in all love stories, there’s a villain here too. Unfortunately, it’s the guys who usually help you chase the baddies away, the Karnataka State police. An order passed by them says multiplexes and theatres across the city have to switch off by 11 pm.
THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT US
This has only escalated the collective angst among the working class of the city. First there was a clampdown on drinking, then dancing and now it’s watching movies. “This is definitely not done. Now, if you want to catch a night show, you have to make it by 8 pm or 8:30 pm which for working professionals like us is not possible. Earlier, we used to get back from work and then go for 9 pm or 9:30 pm show which was ideal. This timing is very unaccommodating,” said Ratna Mukhopadya, who works as a management consultant in an IT company. Ratna is not the only disappointed cine-goer, many share her grief.
Sandeepan, another consultant in an IT start-up, said, “This makes no sense whatsoever. The city’s nightlife was so bad, with the deadlines and all. In Mumbai, everything stays open till two in the night if not more. What’s wrong if we have shows till beyond 11 pm? After all for working people it is really difficult to be able to make anything earlier.”
Rohini Nair, who works with Genpact as an expediter, said, “When a rule is made, the government or the concerned authorities should take the people into account. Their needs and demands should be taken care of. Just randomly imposing something is downright silly. And this rule is so meaningless. If the restaurants can remain open for so long then why not movie theatres. After all that was the one important source of entertainment in this city.”
Students are also joining the chorus. “We are pursuing MBBS in Tumkur. Sometimes in the evening, we drive down to Bangalore, where earlier we would be able to catch a movie at night and then drive back. But now the timings don’t really suit us. We have to be on call from eight in the morning till eight in the evening after that how can we come here and catch a movie? So we prefer to watch movies on weekends,” said Dr B Ghosh, from Siddharta Medical College.
GOOD THINKING
Amit Pai, a software engineer with Sapient, located on Whitefield, sits firmly on the other side of the fence. He said, “I think the rule is absolutely fine. Earlier the shows would get over by 12 midnight and after that hour riding on the streets of Bangalore is not so safe. Now at least we can be back home latest by 11:30 pm and I think this is the best for everyone.”
He has a friend in Rohan K who works with the Jayanagar-located Indigo Soft, said, “I don’t think it has made any difference to me. I was never a fan of night shows, because after work we are so tired that going to watch a movie after that was not something that I enjoy. I prefer watching movies on weekends.”
BOX-OFFICE DUD
But it anything paints the best picture, it’s the collection the cinema halls are making. Satish Kumar, cinema general manager of PVR cinemas, said, “There has been a definite dip in ticket sales. About 20 per cent of sales are down. According to me, the night show is the only clean form of entertainment which is also family oriented. There are so many people with private jobs which get over latest by 7 pm. By the time they get home it’s close to eight. At PVR, the last show starts at 8:30 pm, how do they make it by that time?” He added, “Now that Hindi movies are back in multiplexes, there aren’t enough people to watch them. So, there has been a rise in the ticket sales on the weekends. That has created a problem of too few tickets and too many people.”
Fame Lido’s Ramesh said, “It’s too early to comment. But if the movie is good then, people surely come. But yes, keeping the night show in mind there has been a considerable dip in sales.”
Mohit Bhargav, regional director of south, Inox, said, “Business was affected when there were no movies running and right now too there are no big movies being screened. So, until the good movies hit the screens, it’s very difficult to comment. We are
just following the orders and
the law is paramount. We have yet to look at the figures to see how the curb on the night show has hit us.”
A Anup, associate vice-president of Fun Cinemas, said, “According to the Cinematography Act, the last show of the day was suppose to start anytime before 10 pm. But with the new rule the shows are now starting at 8:30 which is quite odd. And we are certainly missing one slot in Hindi and Kannada movies because of the the duration of most films. Where English movies are concerned, there is no such trouble. But yes, there has been a lot of revenue loss for us.”
And so PVR’s Satish Kumar isn’t planning on taking the ban lying down. The multiplex chain is planning to request the government to take a relook at the ruling. “If restaurants can remain open till 12 midnight, then why not us. People can’t go to eat after a movie because by the time the movie gets over at 11pm, it’s soon time for the hotels to close. So we are hoping that the government will reconsider this ruling.”