With depleting footfalls in theatres, Telangana Exhibitors have resolved to shut down their theatres in the state.
There are more than 400-odd theatres in Telangana state and they will be shutting down for 10 days from Friday (May 17). “Theatres in Telangana state will shut down from May 17th for 10 days and it is likely to be extended,” says an exhibitor and adds, “The collections for recent films have gone from bad to worse and theatre business has become a risky proposition,” he adds.
Picture Courtesy : DC
He says that audiences are reluctant to turn up at theatres despite big promotions by makers and more than 40-odd films have sank without a trace in the last few months. “Footfalls in theatres have gone down drastically and some are attributing them to IPL matches, summer heat and also elections in the two Telugu states. Nonetheless, exhibitors have suffered a lot and don’t want to run shows for a few weeks,” he adds.
Telangana exhibitors have approached exhibitors in Andhra Pradesh who run 800-ood theatres to shut down but they have not agreed to it. “We have requested them to join the fray but they are planning to run old hit movies like ‘HanuMan’ and others but we are hopeful of them agreeing to shut down’ he points out.
Confirming the shutdown, Vijayender Reddy, president of Exhibitors and Controllers Association in Telangana says, "Running theatres has become a costly affair. We incur more losses if we run theatres without an audience. For instance, a theatre owner has to spend Rs 12000 to 18000 per day for screening four shows, while the collections are wavering around Rs 3000 to 4000 per day, so we are in dire straits. Besides, if we run theatres, we have to give share in this measly amount to distributor which adds to our woes," he laments and adds, "For example, we incur Rs 4000 losses if we close theatres and incur Rs 6000 if we run the theatres, so we chose the former for few weeks," he concludes
Summing up the alarming trend, ace producer Raj Kandukuri, says, “It is a worrisome situation for Telugu cinema since movies cannot survive without theatres and vice versa,’. He is also worried about depleting footfalls in theatres for the last few months. “I wish audiences would turn up in theatres in big numbers sooner than later since cinema-viewing experience is always special and unique. Watching a movie with friends and popcorn is unmatched,” he adds.
He admits that ticket rates have gone up a bit and wishes for a cut in admission rates. “Film viewers are reluctant to turn up at theatres since admission and food rates have become quite unaffordable and we wish they would be reduced to attract more eyeballs and revive cinemas on big screens,” he concludes.
