After the multiplex boom, many premier single-screen theatres in the city are turning digital to survive. |
A-class centres such as Liberty (Marine Lines), Central Plaza (Charni Road), Roxy (Opera House), Diamond (Borivli) and Ashish (Chembur) in Mumbai have already opted for digital prints. |
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"Digital cinema enables the single-screen theatres to have the same scheduling flexibility as the multiplexes. Thus they can screen different movies in a day," said Sanjay Gaikwad, ED and CEO, UFO Moviez, which provides digital cinema systems. |
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"Earlier, a movie used to be screened for three shows, seven days a week, but to acquire and use a print for a single show is difficult," says Errol Lobo, manager, Liberty. |
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The increasing number of releases and subsequent flops too have worsened the situation. During 1980-90, Hindi film releases averaged 133 each year, with flop rates being 64 per cent. |
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In 2001-05, when the average release was 244 films each year, the flop rates increased drastically to 90 per cent. In such scenario, multiplexes can hedge their losses with multiple screens. |
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Single screen cinemas also lose out to multiplexes in the vital opening week collections. "With the number of prints limited to 400 per film, getting good movies is tough," said a source. |
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"Losses used to be abound as opening weekend overflows were pocketed by black marketers instead of distributors or exhibitors. It is now possible to release a film simultaneously in all theatres digitally and save Rs 40,000. A print costs Rs 50-55000 on an average. With digital print, the cost for 28 shows is Rs 4,900 at Rs 175 per show," said Rupen Amlani, exhibition director,, Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. |
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Digital prints require no investment apart form the initial security deposit of Rs 1- 1.5 lakh. The equipment is installed by the digital player. After, receiving the go-ahead from the distributor, the digitised film is transferred via satellite to the hard-disk in the theatre, which can store upto 10-12 films at a time. |
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In the last five years 1,555 single-screen theatres have downed shutters all over the country and 49 in Bombay city and suburbs itself. |
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"Single screen cinemas are on a downside and with prints becoming costlier, most single screen cinemas will opt for digital cinema which offers near print quality viewing," concludes Lobo. |
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