Are multiplexes ruining a sensitive viewership?

Films released only in urban multiplexes often vanish unnoticed

Once Mrinal Sen stated, he felt suffocated viewing a film at a multiplex. He always preferred a single screen theatre. Adoor Gopalkrishan also airs the same view. The million dollar question is, are multiplexes ruining a sensitive viewer? This issue has debates which are never ending.

In the last two decades countless single screen halls have shut down. Owners of these halls cite the genuine reasons of lack of houseful shows, inability to gain profits for paying staff salaries, electricity bills and maintenance costs. However Arijit Dutta, owner of a reputed single screen theatre Priya of Kolkata, says, “I don’t agree with the theory that single screen theatres are shutting down due to lack of sensitive audience. The viewer at a single screen is generally not from a higher income bracket a multiplex has. A good film has viewership in both.”

Earlier, Indian cinema was divided into three categories, namely parallel, middle and, commercial cinema- which ruled the roost. The former two types of films had a more discerning and select audience. Mainstream cinema provided entertainment to the masses. Filmmaker Chetan Anand during his active days in films, pointed to and supported exclusive halls for class oriented cinema. Now there is no such categorisation.

Filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur opines, “A proper packaging of films should be created for a multiplex. For Amitabh Bachhan’s 50 years in films and Dilip Kumar’s centenary I specially screened films likes Don (1978) and Devdas (1955) which turned out houseful.”

Film director and cinematographer Goutam Ghose feels, “Many old films are now available on YouTube. Their prints may not be good but the general public prefers to sit back at home and view a Pather Panchali (1955), Ajantrik (1958) or Padatik (1973) on select channels.”

Viewers used to be more cine conscious before. I have memories of how during my childhood days, I was mesmerised watching Lawrence of Arabia (1962) at Jyoti Talkies, Kolkata. Films like The Sound of Music (1965) or Dr Zhivago (1965) received an overwhelming audience. Nowadays, brilliant films like Bridges of Spies (2015) or Ticket to Paradise (2022) vanish unnoticed in urban multiplexes of India.

Meryl Streep once said that she mourns the silent death of a thinking viewer. So the main aspect is the lack of good cinema. Be it a single screen or a multiplex, a classic always stands the test of time. The lack of a mature audience is increasing day by day.

Film historian and academician Sanjay Mukhopadhyay sums up the issue well saying, “The golden days of cinema are gone. Sadly now there are very few cine literates.” Piku (2015), Padmavat (2018) and Pink (2016) were big successes in recent times at multiplexes — not like the classics, Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) or Haqeeqat (1985) — but good entertainers of the last decade are fondly remembered.

True multiplex rates are too high compared to single-screen theaters. Yet it is not a multiplex culture but the lack of quality cinema which is keeping a sensitive and thinking viewer away from cinema halls.