Cinemas Downing Shutters

Production offices may be buzzing with activity but offices of distributors and exhi­bitors as well as cinemas are as good as shut these days. With no new releases since three weeks now, distribution offices have no work and so also exhibition offices. As for cinemas these days, there are often lesser number of patrons in the auditorium than the staff members on duty! It is due to this reason that most of the multiplexes have either shut down some of their screens or drastically reduced the number of shows they conduct daily.

The single-screen Roxy cinema in Bombay has announced closure for a month. Probably, the cinema management doesn’t expect that a settlement to the ongoing dispute between producers/distributors and multiplex owners will come about for another four weeks! Also, since IPL cricket matches are posing tough competition to films, the management of Roxy cinema may have decided to keep its pre­cincts closed to the public even if a settlement to the dispute is found before May-end. Another cinema in Bombay – Liberty – has dec­lared that it will remain closed for a week from 24th April for maintenance work. These are but two examples of cinemas in Bombay. The position is no different in other parts of the country.
Issue dated 26 April – 1 May. 2009

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• So Many Films, Such Few Cinemas!
• Producers Happy, Multiplex Operators Sad
• Yet Another Inconclusive Meeting… …AND THE STALEMATE CONTINUES First Film Ready For Release In Single-Screen Cinemas, Independent Multiplexes Next Week