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Cinemas cowed down by threat from Sena
Feb 12th
Multiplexes & Malls More Worried About Damage To Property Than Profits From Film
Bharati Dubey | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 12, 2010)
Mumbai: Despite assurances from the Maharashtra government and the police that adequate protection would be given to cinema halls screening ‘My Name Is Khan’, multiplex owners and theatres across the state have decided not to screen the Shah Rukh Khan starrer on the first day of its release on Friday.
Each of Mumbai’s 70 cinemas were expected to rake in about Rs 2 lakh a day. But exhibitors were not worried so much about losing that amount as they were worried about losing money due to damage to property. The latter, they think, would be costlier and more of an annoyance in the long run.
About 90% of multiplexes are situated on leased property and mall owners, too, are in no mood to bear losses for the sake of a film’s release. Exhibitor and distributor Ramesh Sippy said, “If a film like ‘My Name Is Khan’ does not release on the first day, the minimum loss for a day would be around Rs 3 crore (for all Mumbai multiplexes), but the potential damage to property is what is working on the exhibitors’ minds. At present, a multiplex like Inox is situated in such a location (Nariman Point) that if the front of the property is damaged the multiplex would be unable to pay the reimbursement. So most of the multiplexes have decided against releasing the film in the present scenario.’’
Multiplex owners are reportedly under pressure from mall owners who are in no mood to incur any losses due to damage. The owner of a mall in the western suburbs said, “We really don’t have faith in the police force. They will do nothing if the Sena comes and vandalises our property.’’
Multiplexes have had several meetings with the police, chief minister and home minister and remain under pressure from the government to release the film, but most of them said they have no faith in the police force. An industry source said that the multiplexes have been told that if they don’t release ‘…Khan’, they shouldn’t release any other film. Another industry source said, “The government even told multiplex owners that if there is any damage, the state would compensate them. But even that did not convince them to release the film.’’
Vishal Kapoor, chief operations officer, Fun Cinemas, said, “All of us decided not to screen the film tomorrow as the environment is not healthy. We will wait and watch for the scene to get better.’’
Sippy added, “There are so many multiplexes whose screens were torn. To replace a screen is not only expensive, but the owners lose business for two to three weeks because screens are not of standard size and are made to order.’’
Manoj Desai, managing director of G-7 multiplex, Bandra West), has already planned to replace ‘My Name Is Khan’ with the Anthony Hopkins film ‘The Wolfman’. He said, “I have incurred a loss of Rs 3 lakh. The screen of my Maratha Mandir was torn down on Wednesday evening. I just cannot afford to take more losses.’’
On Wednesday, most multiplex chains were also complaining that, while their halls were provided full security in Mumbai, their cinema halls outside the city did not have any police cover, which they have pointed out to the police and state.
Meanwhile Sippy also said, “Audiences would certainly not want to enter a cinema hall and watch a film surrounded by cops.’’

