No #Screxit for single screens despite losses

Picture this: Out of the 30-odd single screen theatres that the city used to have, two have been turned into parking lots, two have gone the multiplex way, nine have shut shop or lie defunct, and the remaining are struggling to make ends meet. What were once happening spots for cinephiles, have today been reduced to a pitiable condition with a drop of approximately 50 per cent in their turnover.
While the multiplex boom is the most obvious reason for the drop, other entertainment options like amusement parks, bowling alleys, gaming zones and more, have forced a slow death on to single screens.So, why continue with the business anyway? We find out...
More options, less audience
The charm of single screens is dead already. “Earlier, movies used to run for 20-25 weeks and it was the middle-class and lower middle-class viewers who used to throng single screens. Now, a good film runs hardly for three weeks and no one really wants to watch it in a single screen theatre, except for those who can’t afford multiplexes,” says Vilas Tapre, owner of Vasant Talkies. The fewer takers have resulted in a drastic fall in the turnover and have affected maintenance as well.
Are the rules too strict?
As per the current rules of the state government, single screens cannot be redeveloped into commercial properties entirely. “Of course there is an option of turning the property into a multiplex, but here the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) guidelines come in the way,” informs Gaurav Shah, third-generation owner of Neelayam Talkies. According to PMC guidelines, a multiplex has to have parking space for six cars, 20 scooters and 10 bicycles, per 40 seats. Most of the cinema halls are more than 600 seaters (Neelayam has 1,100) and having been built at a time when Pune was the city of bicycles, there is hardly any space for car and scooter parking, apart from what’s originally there. “Plus, there has to be space around the cinema hall for a fire-engine to pass easily. But most of the screens are in the old-city area where space crunch is a major issue,” adds Dilip Nikam, one of the owners of Vijay Talkies.
In fact, the theatres stand to lose out on space due to other developments. Recently, Laxminarayan Talkies near Swargate lost out on almost its entire parking space due to the road widening and flyover project in the area.
No exit policy
The association of single screen owners in the city has been pushing for relaxations in the current rules since more than a decade, but nothing has come out of it yet. “We recently spoke to Pune district Guardian Minister Girish Bapat, and are awaiting a word from him,” informs Nikam. “The biggest problem is that there is no exit policy for us although many of us are for it. And if we think of redevelopment, we can’t afford the expenditure, courtesy the meagre business,” says Tapre. After paying taxes, bills and salaries of employees, a single screen owner earns only about `20 lakh a year, as opposed to the high maintenance expenditure he/she incurs. “Many owners are just waiting for the new Development Plan (DP) which will decide our fate. If regulations are relaxed, we might think of continuing the business; if not, death of the business is inevitable,” informs Tapre.
The way ahead
Looking at the current situation, single screens are definitely a dying commodity. Also, with direct-to-home services and video theatres popping up, the situation will worsen. “Unless a mutual and logical solution to their woes is agreed upon, these cinema halls that saw yesteryear hits running to full houses will soon vanish from the scenario,” says Tapre.
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Changes in the current rules and regulations stand to benefit multiplexes as well, and multiplex owners are backing the single-screen owners. Prakash Chaphalkar, one of the owners of a multiplex chain, says, “There have to be changes in the Cinematograph Act and at the same time, government officials need to be re-oriented with the rules. In fact, a committee from the cultural department of the state has tabled certain suggestions, but they need to be discussed and implemented soon. Relaxation in the rules is the need of the hour for single screens.”
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On an average, a movie ticket at a single screen costs between Rs 60 and Rs 100. Apart from the humble vada-pav, samosas and cold-drinks, single screens have started offering popcorn and sandwiches in order to give cinemagoers a ‘multiplex experience’.
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- Minerva and Aryan Talkies near the Mahatma Phule Mandai have given way to two multi-storeyed parking lots.
- The erstwhile Deccan Talkies was turned into a mall but a multiplex chain runs two screens in the building.
- Bhanuvilas, Alpana, Vijayanand, Natraj, Bharat, Anant, Deluxe, Nishat, Westend and Shrinath Talkies lie defunct.