Should movie-watching experience depend on the locality one lives in or the ability to cough up a tidy sum? How viable is it to drive down from the outskirts of the burgeoning city to Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills or Madhapur to enjoy a multiplex experience? Many film buffs have been doing precisely this, until the new crop of cineplexes or multiplexes began operations in areas like Kompally, Kukatpally, Uppal and Miyapur. Many of these new cineplexes, falling under the purview of Ranga Reddy district, have been bringing cheer to movie lovers at a cost that’s comparatively lower than the established multiplexes. The tickets are priced at Rs.100-150, lower than the Rs. 150-250 one has to shell out at multiplexes in the heart of the city. And the good news is, more cineplexes are on the anvil.
Producer D. Suresh Babu who is a partner in Asian Cinemas which has cineplexes in Kapra and Uppal says the idea is to bring in more people to movie halls without having to travel too far. “People are not going to cinema halls as they used to before, for various reasons. Many of the single screens on the outskirts are not well maintained. Unkept restrooms and bad projection systems won’t work anymore.” Asian Cinemas is planning to open cineplexes in Attapur and Ramachandrapuram soon.
Existing and new players see a potential in erstwhile far-flung areas that are now thickly populated with residential and commercial establishments. Cinepolis at Manjeera mall, Kukatpally, is already fetching steady patronage. Meanwhile, in the heart of the city, Ramakrishna 70mm at Abids has gone through an overhaul, with the help of Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts. The production house is eyeing ailing single screens across the country and revamping them, aiming at offering multiplex experience at affordable costs.
Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts, says the focus is on building patronage and connecting with the audience the way erstwhile single screens used to. “The audience needs to feel at home while at the movies. The owner of Ramakrishna was keen on revamping it and having a management take charge of the operations. We did a study of the area and the competitors and are happy to be associated with a prime property that has the legacy of NTR.
The pricing of tickets and food and beverage are lower than existing multiplexes,” he says. Mukta has already opened up or looking at potential cinema halls in tier two and tier three cities such as Kundli in Haryana, Aurangabad, Baroda, Panvel, Banswada, Vizag, Bhopal and other cities. “These are strong cinema-loving pockets waiting to be tapped,” he adds.
The mushrooming of multiplexes, at least in Hyderabad, has helped films meant for a niche audience find more screens. The Malayalam film Bangalore Days is a case in point. At the same time, there is the possibility of having too many screens and lesser footfalls. “This is a capital intensive business and returns will take time. I am both an exhibitor and a producer. As an exhibitor I know that people will come if the screens are good with good projection and sound systems and as a producer I understand that only good films can make this happen. In the near future, Kukatpally is likely to see many more cinema halls and I feel this is a good sign,” sums up Suresh Babu.
