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Visakhapatnam
Big SCREEN losing SHEEN
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Poor patronage, removal of ceiling on admission rates and the proliferation of satellite channels have hit cinema houses badly.
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The plush seats at one of the theatres. But can they attract viewers? - Photo: K.R. Deepak
While the biggies in the film industry are making a fast buck, the exhibitors are finding the going tough with low returns and high taxation. Not surprisingly, about half-a-dozen theatres in the city are up for sale and four of them have already closed shop. Some are still being run for prestige, in spite of losses.
Most theatre managements are investing huge amounts on provision of technical advancements like DTS sound, improved seating and computerised advance booking. However, these are hardly having any impact on cinema-goers. Further, cinemas have lost their sheen with the proliferation of satellite and cable channels.
High taxation has forced theatre managements to reduce the seating capacity to save on payment of taxes. The seating capacity has been reduced by more than 50 per cent in some of the theatres. The theatre owners are jacking up the ticket prices to meet the demands of distributors and offset the losses on this count. The tariff, which ranged from Rs.3 to Rs.6 in most halls in the metro about 10 years ago, has gone up from Rs.5 to Rs.40 now. This steep hike in ticket rates is a major factor, which is making the people think twice before dashing to the theatres.
A four-member family, going to the theatre, would have to shell out not less than Rs.200 considering that they would have at least soft drinks during the interval. It is a different matter that the soft drinks and eatables are sold at exorbitant rates in the cinema halls. In contrast, the satellite TV channels are dishing out about six films a day. The whole family can watch the films in the comfort of their drawing rooms and munch peanuts or have homemade food of their choice.
"About 80 films are being made every year in the State of which hardly 15 are block-busters. The remaining films are being screened in near-empty theatres and withdrawn after the third or the fourth week," says the secretary of the Visakhapatnam Film Exhibitors Association, Anantam.
"The poor quality of films, high cost of production and the hike in ticket prices to offset the poor returns and high taxes, besides the spurt in satellite channels, is having a cumulative effect and resulting in poor patronage of theatres. However, good films are still being patronised by the people".
The Government is indulging in double taxation in respect of non-Telugu films. This is preventing the exhibitors from screening Hindi and English films to tide over the losses. "We do not object to the tax being slightly higher for non-Telugu films but doubling the tax is unreasonable and unfair. Some theatres have closed and some others are on the verge of closure," he says.
The golden oldies are also unable to draw the masses to the theatres as they are being repeatedly telecast on Doordarshan or by satellite channels. Piracy is another factor, which is killing the industry. Some of the local cable channels are screening pirated version of new films. When these films turn out to be `average', the cine goers are no longer interested in seeing them on the big screen.
The claims of some big banners that their films are running to packed houses for 25 weeks or more, are a farce. The producers sell these pictures to the distributors on the condition that they should screen it for that many weeks, irrespective of patronage. The distributor would be forced to bear a part of the loss and the exhibitors are forced to lower the rents.
Coming to hit films, people are no longer crazy to watch sub-standard stuff, even if it belongs to the popular matinee idols like Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh and NTR Jr. However, if these icons turn out good films, their fans go berserk and make a beeline to the theatres, says T. Raja Papaiah, a former secretary of the AP Film Chamber of Commerce and at present chairman of Sri Kanakamahalakshmi Devasthanam Trust Board.
The returns on hit films run into crores of rupees. The lead heroes are said to be demanding a minimum of Rs.2 crore these days and the director has to be given a similar amount as remuneration. The other artistes would also have to be paid according to their role and its importance. This apart the film production costs have also registered a steep increase.
The theatre rent at any of the cinema halls in the city is no less than Rs.1 lakh per week. The distributors have to bear the rent and tax. About 90 per cent of the films being released every week are a financial failure. The exhibitors are unable to bear the losses.
The fate of producers is no better. Some of the films are not being released even after completion of production as no distributors are coming forward to purchase them.
In good old days, story selection used to take six months and another 18 months was required for shooting the film. The director and the artistes used to take great pains in turning out a good product. The themes and story used to be close to reality and it was no wonder, many of them ran for 100 days or longer. "The Durga Kala Kendram in Vijayawada used to screen old hits like `Pathala Bhairavi', whenever they needed quick money and the films used to fetch bumper collections despite runs and re-runs," recalls a senior journalist who had worked there in 1970s and 1980s.
"The theatre industry is in a crisis with most managements finding it a Herculean task to pay the taxes in the absence of adequate returns. With the free availability of CDs of new films and unauthorised telecast of new films over local channels people are no longer flocking to the theatres," says the manager of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Theatre(104 Area), Koneru Rammohan Rao.
"The removal of the ceiling on ticket rates is a big blow to the theatre managementsThe films of popular heroes are being released at temporary theatres (which obtain temporary licences) on the outskirts of the city. The fans of the particular star book all the tickets and sell for Rs.50 or so each and ensure that these theatres run to packed houses. The audiences are willing to travel a few extra miles to see the new releases instead of paying four times that amount to purchase the tickets in the black market. The State Government should initiate steps to curb this practice, which is detrimental to the interests of exhibitors."
While middlemen are making a fast buck through the sale of tickets in the black market, the proprietors and distributors, who do not have any role or share in it, are earning a bad name. Unfortunately, many of the proprietors are neglecting this aspect and the police are blaming it on shortage of manpower to control the menace. "I am able to check the menace as my proprietor has given me the liberty to appoint additional part time staff for the sale of tickets during the first few days of the release of popular heroes," says Rammohan Rao.
"The introduction of the slab system in the levying of tax has made most proprietors to go for a reduction in capacity. The high taxation and poor returns is making some of the long time players to close shop while there are others who are too fascinated by the `glamour business' to call it a day. The addiction of women to television serials is another for the poor turnout at the theatres," says J.N. Choudhary, managing partner of Sri Venkateswara Theatre.
"The video piracy which has hit the industry about 15 years ago has graduated to VCDs and DVDs. Viewers can see the films on video without any censor cuts. The theatre managements in AP are allowed to collect a maintenance charge of Re.1 as against Rs.3 in other States. The high taxation in AP is another reason which is killing the industry," says the proprietor of Jagadamba Theatre, Jagdish Kumar.
As the crowds are growing thinner and thinner at the theatres, the managements are keeping their fingers crossed hoping for better days ahead.
B. MADHU GOPAL
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