The show is going on

Mixed views

While business is as usual at multiplexes, most single-screen theatres across the city have taken a hit after demonetisation came into force. Those manning ticket counters at single-screen theatres say shows have been running with just a handful of people. Meanwhile, cashless transactions are helping multiplexes over single-screen alternatives.

Everest Theatre on Kenchappa Road in Fraser Town is among the oldest surviving single-screen theatres and demonetisation has affected it badly. Jayaprakash Narayan, a staff at the theatre, says business has dropped by more than half. “We have four shows every day, starting 11.30 am. We have been running the show with just four or five people in the audience. It is a big loss for us but we have no choice but to run the show,” says Jayaprakash.

He points out that there were people who were walking in with the Rs 2,000 note for tickets that cost only Rs 500. “We had no change to give, so we had to send some people back,” he adds.

Other single-screen theatres, like Lavanya on St John’s Road, haven’t incurred much loss. It is the location that has helped them, feels Srinivas, manager of the theatre.
“We have been screening the shows. Our profits have dropped by 20 percent. We have not slashed our prices but we have limited the number of snacks at the counter.

We don’t stock as much food as we used to. This has helped us save on food-related expenses,” explains Srinivas.  

Multiplexes continue to make money and don’t seem to be as affected. A manager with a leading multiplex, says that they don’t have the usual number of people for the morning shows. However, the shows during the weekends are still running in packed houses.

“We can’t afford to reduce the rates but thankfully, cashless transactions and online bookings have kept us going,” he says.    

Movie buffs say that they found most single-screen theatres running empty.

Apoorva and Sanjeev, students of animation at a college near R T Nagar, had come all the way to Lavanya Theatre to watch a movie.

“It’s peaceful to watch movies in less crowded theatres. The liquidity crunch hasn’t stopped us from catching up with our favourite actors,” says Sanjeev. Satyamurthy, a professional and a movie buff, says the demonetisation has helped in a way because some of the theatres have slashed the ticket prices.

“There were a few theatres that put out notices saying tickets were priced at Rs 100. We always watch movies in a large group and my friends took advantage of the reduction in ticket rates,” he says.

Echoing Satyamurthy’s view is Velu, a delivery staff with Swiggy, who feels the liquidity crunch hasn’t affected movie-goers as much as it has affected other sectors. “Everybody wants entertainment and I don’t usually miss new releases. I made sure I had enough lower denomination currency to watch films. Also, most theatres were running empty, so it was good to watch a movie is a less-crowded atmosphere,” he says.

Velu says he always watches movies in single-screen theatres because he finds the tickets in multiplexes overpriced.