Even as filmgoers in East Godavari district have been complaining of absence of safety measures and skyrocketing prices of foods and beverages in the canteens for quite a long time, the officials, at last have cracked the whip on the erring managements. Besides making it mandatory conducting safety checks periodically, the focus has also been shifted towards the quality and quantity of the foodstuff being sold in the eateries attached to the cinema halls.
Known as the paradise for movie buffs, the district accounts for 135 screens located in 107 building complexes. Even as some of the cinema halls of bygone era turned into function halls and shopping complexes in premier locations, the advent of multiplex complex culture has ensured that there was no sudden drop in the screens. Every now and then, the moviegoers express their dissatisfaction over the infrastructure and facilities in the theatres or the frequent hike in the entry fares.
For the fist time, a video-conference has been conducted with the managements of all the cinema halls in the district last week, in which Joint Collector A. Mallikarjuna interacted with the proprietors. Complaints from the filmgoers have come for wider discussion and standing instructions have been issued to the managements on the spot. “Except four cinema halls in Kakinada, none of the other theatres is following the norms prescribed by the Safety and Standards Authority of India with regard to the quality of food stuff being served in the theatre canteens,” points out Dr. Mallikarjuna, while expressing concern over the public health.
Similarly, only 90 theatre complexes are equipped with the fire-fighting devices and obtained permissions from the departments concerned. “From installing the equipment to the setting up of closed circuit cameras, a lot has to be done on the safety front. We have asked the managements to complete the procedure by October 5,” he says.
‘Reduce ticket rates’
“We are happy that our concerns are being addressed at least now. There is a need to focus on the entry fare as well, as the ticket rates in some of the theatres are not in the reach of even the middle class here,” says Y.D. Rama Rao, president of the Taxpayers Association, Kakinada. “By lowering the fares, the managements can improve the occupancy,” he adds.
The managements, however, claim that the facilities in the theatres are on a par with the entry fares and it is not possible to offer superior comforts for bare minimal fares.
“Our fares are basing on the services we offer. There is no dispute with the safety measures, but it is practically not possible to provide high-end food at a bare minimum price,” says P. Srinivasa Rao, in-charge of Suresh Film Distribution company.
