Delhi to get more multiplexes soon

Delhi became the first city in the country to have a four-screen multiplex back in 1997 with PVR Saket and as of today has 25 multiplexes. And quite a few more just may be added to the list very soon. Sidhartha Roy reports.

Delhi became the first city in the country to have a four-screen multiplex back in 1997 with PVR Saket and as of today has 25 multiplexes. And quite a few more just may be added to the list very soon.

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The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) may soon authorise seven “temporary” cinemas in the city. Sources in the DDA said some of these cinemas would be able to convert to multiplexes according to the prescribed development control norms.

These temporary cinema halls -- Swarn in Vishwas Nagar, Seble in Badarpur, Lokesh near Rohtak Road, Suraj in Najafgarh, Hans in Azadpur, Raj in Tilak Nagar and Chandralok in Chittaranjan Park -- have been operating for nearly four decades but according to the Master Plan of Delhi, are not categorised as cinema halls and were running on licences.

The cinemas had come up to provide entertainment at affordable prices to the economically weaker sections and originally operated out of tin sheds, which were later replaced with permanent structures.

The DDA is going to hold its board meeting on Tuesday and the agenda on hand is the regularisation of seven “temporary” cinema halls of the capital, the sources added.

The authority had approved the continuance of these halls in April this year on condition that no new such temporary cinemas would be allowed to come up and existing ones follow norms.

“The norms allow for enough seating and space for auditoriums and commercial complexes for them to be converted into multiplexes,” said a senior DDA official who didn’t wish to be named. “For this, the cinema halls should have enough road width, parking space and security arrangements present,” the official said.

The cinemas need at least 18-m road width in front and parking space for three vehicles per 100 square metres.

The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) allowed is 100 subject to a maximum of 3,000 sq m. In case the plot is more than 4,000 sq m and is located on 24-m road, FAR allowed will not exceed 4,000 sq m and will be subject to undertaking traffic impact study etc.

Maximum permissible height is 15 metres and commercial activities shall be permissible after excluding space required for capacity of 300 seating in a cinema hall.

Sources also said that Chandralok cinema might not get the legit tag as it doesn’t fulfil the prescribed norms.