Months after government allowed them to reopen, theatres in Bijapur struggling to keep shows running
Bijapur: Even after the government permitted the opening of cinema halls/theatres to screen movies with 50 percent audience capacity, the majority of theaters in Bijapur city have remained closed.
Though the cinema halls were allowed to open from October 15 – only a few theaters began operations in early November while the remaining cinema halls have remained closed to date. Among the theaters that have opened are screening old popular and recent blockbuster movies but are still grappling to attract the audience.
Shravan Kumar Mahindrakar, proprietor of Apsara Cineplex said that, “We thought that we will get a good response from movie enthusiasts as the theaters have opened after nearly seven months but the response so far has largely disappointed us. In each show, we are witnessing merely less than 10 people in the cinema hall. Fearing infection of coronavirus, the people are still hesitant to come to theaters.”
“Because of multiple factors, we are facing issues to attract audience after unlock. One is the producers of big movies are hesitating to release movies fearing loss. Second is the small scale movie producers are marketing their movies to OTT platforms instead of releasing in theaters. The third is the younger generation are preferring to watch movies in OTT platforms than theaters,” detailed Mahindrakar, who has been running the theater for the past five decades.
There are about six theaters in the city. Among them, two are functioning and the remaining three are yet to open and one has decided to close the cinema hall permanently.
Ramesh Rayakar, proprietor of Laxmi Theaters pointed that, “The theaters bring good revenue to the government during the season but it has completely failed to come in rescue of theater proprietors. The state government has announced COVID relief to many sectors but failed to announce any sum to the cinema halls. While the theaters are grappling to earn enough revenue - the government has increased the license fee, it is unacceptable during the pandemic. The cinema halls are running under enormous difficulty – the government has to come in its rescue,” urged Rayakar.
The two theaters that are screening movies are witnessing less than 5 percent of movie enthusiasts out of total capacity. The theaters are paying half wages to the workers as cinema halls fail to receive a good response from the audience, claimed cinema hall proprietors.
Meanwhile, moviegoers said that “After seven months I had gone to the cinema hall to watch a new movie but I was disappointed to know that the cinema halls are forced to cancel the shows because of poor audiences. The feel of watching movies in theaters will not get the same in the OTT platforms.”
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Protest against demolition drive turns violent in Kolkata, 3 cops injured
Kolkata (PTI): A protest against the recent bulldozer action in Kolkata's Tiljala turned violent on Sunday as demonstrators hurled stones at police personnel in the minority-dominated Park Circus area, injuring at least three officials and damaging several vehicles.
The flare-up came days after bulldozers rolled into Tiljala as part of the West Bengal government's demolition drive against alleged illegal constructions following the factory fire that killed two persons earlier this week.
On Sunday afternoon, a large number of people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and attempted to block roads, police said.
As police tried to disperse, what they described as an "unlawful assembly", a section of protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, triggering chaos in the area.
Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those carrying central forces, were vandalised, officials said.
Heavy deployment of Kolkata Police and central forces was made in the area after the clashes. Route marches and intensified patrolling were undertaken in adjoining localities to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.
Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas said action has already been initiated against those involved in the violence.
"Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was pelting of stones. Three of our colleagues were injured," Biswas told reporters.
"We have already arrested a few people," he said.
The officer said police followed standard operating procedures, and efforts were underway to identify all those involved in the violence.
"There was an attack on the police. We will see who is behind it and arrest everyone. Strict legal action will be taken," he added.
While the police maintained the agitation was linked to administrative action against illegal buildings, some locals claimed that grievances over alleged restrictions on the use of loudspeakers during religious prayers and curbs on offering prayers on roads had also contributed to the tensions.
The developments come close on the heels of tension in Kolkata's Rajabazar area on Friday, where a standoff broke out after a group of people allegedly attempted to offer prayers on a public road despite restrictions on blocking traffic.
According to police sources, a large contingent of personnel reached the area and asked people to vacate the road, after which the situation turned tense briefly.
Members of the local community argued that holding Friday prayers on roads had been a long-standing practice in the locality, while the administration maintained that keeping roads clear was necessary for traffic movement and maintenance of law and order.
Police, however, did not indicate any direct connection between the Rajabazar incident and Sunday's violence in Park Circus.
Authorities also did not immediately disclose the number of persons arrested in Sunday's clashes or whether any protesters sustained injuries during the confrontation.
