The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Kochiites’ lifelong passion for movies

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Saturday, Jul 19, 2008
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Kerala - Kochi

Kochiites’ lifelong passion for movies

K.S. Sudhi

Dirty halls, poor acoustics do not deter film-lovers

Photo: Vipin Chandran

COMMITTED PATRONS: A cinema theatre in Kochi. —

KOCHI: When James Bond sets the silver screens worldwide ablaze on November 8 with his famous punchline “My name is Bond…James Bond”, Bond fans in Kochi will also have their share of thrills and spills. Sans the desired digital quality.

Digital version

It will be the cinematographic film copy and not the digital version of the latest movie ‘Quantum of Solace’ that will be screened in Kochi as Day Date Release, the day in which the movie is released worldwide.

For digital versions of such movies, the film companies are insisting on digital resolution above 4K. Unfortunately, the digital quality of most of the Indian theatres including the ones in Kerala is below 2K, says V. R. Ramkumar, manager of Sridhar Theatre.

The option before most of the Indian theatres for screening such films is to either import the film prints or get the film prints printed here. In the case of the next Bond movie, nearly 150 copies of the film need to be made for Kerala alone, he said.

But the reduced projection and sound qualities have not succeeded in deterring the movie buffs in Kochi. They religiously queue up before the theatre from day one of the screening of their favourite movies. Others reserve their seats in advance. With the mobile companies offering a host of value added services such as booking the cinema tickets through their mobile phones, one need not wait in the queue for reserving the seat.

Just dial the number provided by the mobile company and remember the reservation number that is given. Later, you can collect the tickets from the cafeteria or other designated centres by making the payment there.

What does the long queue of cinemagoers and bulk ticket reservations mean to cinema halls?

Their cash boxes are certainly ringing. Sridhar Theatre, known for mostly screening English movies for more than three decades, has been achieving more than its revenue targets for long.

“For screening movies like James Bond, we don’t even need any posters and publicity materials in the city. All that we need is some crowd management system and the presence of policemen in the theatre premises during the screening,” Mr. Ramkumar said.

The Theatre expects a huge turnout on August 1, when Mummy 3 will be released in Kochi.

Though a few cinema halls have stopped functioning in the city over the years, Kochi is now home to 15 movie halls. But cinemagoers are not that happy with the facilities they get at the halls.

“The long wait for tickets in the tunnel like enclosures in cinema halls is a harrowing experience,” said Ann Maymol, a senior executive in a private firm in Kochi.

Leg space

These enclosures often lack proper ventilation and one will be suffocated before reaching the ticket counter. The lack of walking space between the rows of seats and the damaged seats also takes away the fun, Ms. Maymol said. Anu Varghese, a regular moviegoer, feels that it’s high time that some space was reserved for women in theatres. Such a step would serve in protecting women from harassment and miscreants, she said. Ms. Varghese was also of the view that there should be separate entrance and exit for women in theatres.

Cleanliness

S. Sunilkumar, an employee of a mobile company in Kochi, complained about the lack of cleanliness in cinema halls. He recounted with disgust his recent experience of watching rodents running along the aisle in the theatre. The balcony of the cinema hall was also stinking, he complained.

Usually, the inspections regarding the hygienic conditions and other facilities in theatres are carried out annually while renewing the licence, said an official of the Kochi Corporation. However, inspections will be carried out when there are specific complaints, he said.

Mini Antony, secretary of the Kochi Corporation, was of the view that the authorities can inspect cinema halls during any point of time. The right is naturally vested with the licensing authority, Ms. Antony said.

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