Cine-goers queue for tickets outside INOX, at Forum, to catch a film after bandh hours. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Time:5.45 pm.
Place: Forum

Some 60 cine-goers have queued up at the multiplex ticket counters, set to open at 6 pm, as the Elgin Road mall gradually comes to life after a day of desertion.

Having spent the whole day indoors — thanks to the 12-hour Trinamul Congress bandh call — it was time for Calcutta to step out.

If it was time to go to work at dawn in Sector V, it was time to go to play at dusk at Forum.

A holiday mood was mirrored by the rush to catch a movie at the INOX multiplex with family or just hang out in food court with friends.

“I think malls and plexes should be exempted from bandhs. You can at least come here and spend an entire day without getting bored. We were cooped up at home in Hazra, where the bandh was quite effective. It was really a very dull day. We are here to catch a movie and grab a bite,” said Kamlesh Banerjee, heading a family of four out for some fun.

The fact was reflected in the figures, with the first three shows, post-bandh, at INOX recording 100 per cent, 80 per cent and 95 per cent occupancy. “Most unlike a regular Monday,” offered a spokesperson, as Khosla Ka Ghosla, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Woh Lamhe and Dor went almost full.

The demand for food matched that for films after a day of forced denial. By the time Burp, the food court in Forum, opened after 6 pm, there were people waiting to buy their card and dig in.

“The mall is a preferred destination on a day like this as people prefer to head for a place where they can spend some time and enjoy various things under one roof,” said an official at the Elgin Road address.

With Diwali and Id round the corner, shopping was also on the agenda for many, as the stores lifted their shutters around the 6 pm mark.