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No last show for single-screen cinemas: Laxminarayan theatre will not reopen
Single-screen theatres in the city were already facing business challenges from TV, multiplexes, and OTT platforms, before the Covid impact
Single-screen theatres in the city were already facing business challenges from TV, multiplexes, and OTT platforms, before the Covid impact.
Vijay Talkies on Kelkar road was demolished, and now, the company which owns the Laxminarayan theatre has decided to close it permanently.
Also, reconstruction work at Neelayam theatre has begun to reduce seating capacity from 1,200 to 400.
“Single-screen owners expect some concessions from the government. The demand is for concession in property tax and electricity bills. There haven’t been releases of new films and hence, all the theatres haven’t been opened,” said Nitin Datar, president, Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India.
Laxminarayan theatre which is near Swargate, a prime location in the city, was opened in 1976. Its operators have decided not to open it again.
“There is no business viability in single -screen theatres. Through various sources people get to watch films. They have many alternatives such as TV and OTT platforms. In the last few years, people have turned their backs on single-screen cinemas and Covid is the latest blow. Now there is no other alternative, but to close it,” said Dilip Borawake, managing director of Borawake Theatres.
Of its six single-screen theatres in Pune and Ahmednagar, the Borawake group has decided to shut four, including Laxminarayan.
The state government had allowed cinema halls, theatres, and multiplexes to reopen from November 5, but single-screen owners hadn’t opened as they were only allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity.
New restrictions are in place in the city, and the hope for permission to operate at 100 per cent capacity has faded.
“The current seating capacity of Neelayam is 1,200. We are reducing it to 400. In the current scenario, after business calculations, it is not possible to run a single screen for 1,200 seats. The remaining space will be used for commercial activities,” said Gaurav Shah, owner of Neelayam.
Sadanand Mohol owner of Vaibhav theatre in Hadapsar fears that if the situation doesn’t change, single screens will soon become history in Pune. “There are hardly 15-16 single-screen theatres functioning in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Every month electricity bills have to be paid even though the business is not running. Single-screen owners have to invest from their own pockets. Almost all single-screens are over,” Mohol said.
“Permission to operate the cinemas with only 50 per cent capacity, the recent imposition of night curfew and no new film releases are some of the reasons operators hadn’t opened yet. We are monitoring the situation and hopefully it will improve,” said Deepak Kudale, former president, Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India.
Single-screen cinemas in Pune
-There are 15-16 single-screen theatres in Pune, including the suburbs
- Vijay talkies building was demolished and owners of the Laxminarayan theatre have decided not to reopen
-Seat numbers in Neelayam being reduced
Current challenges
- No single-screen theatre in Pune has reopened after lockdown
- Permission to operate only with 50 per cent
- No releases of new films
- Financial burden to pay property tax, electricity bills even if theatre has been closed
- No permission to operate another business in that space
- Losing audiences to TV and OTT platforms
