Cinemas are going double screen, and may soon be called “multiplexes”.

With the losses incurred over the years, especially after the advent of the multiplexes, the state government is considering the idea of double screens and the “multiplex” tag to haul the hall-owners out of their financial mess.

The state information and cultural affairs department has already okayed the proposal and forwarded it to the finance department for approval.

Principal secretary (information and cultural affairs department) Dilip Chakraborty said on Thursday: “The existing West Bengal Amusement Tax Act allows tax subsidy to multiplexes. A similar provision is required for a double-screen theatre, for which we have sent the proposal to the finance department.”

According to members of the Eastern India Motion Picture Association (EIMPA), more than 25 halls had to be shut down for losses incurred in the past two years.

“Earlier, there were around 105 cinemas in Calcutta. Today, the count is 75. The occupancy levels in the functional ones have also gone down drastically,” said Tapandeb Banerjee, chairman, exhibitors’ section executive committee, EIMPA.

Apart from the rise in the number of plexes, a major woe of the city’s cinemas has been the increasing circulation of pirated DVDs of popular films, pointed out Banerjee.

The EIMPA had initially approached the government with the proposal for double screens.

“If twin-screen theatres are introduced and recognised as multiplexes, there will be no need to demolish the older halls. If restructured, the theatres can easily accommodate two screens with 700 seats. This will boost occupancy levels and also help us cut down on administrative expenses,” said Arijit Dutta, a hall-owner.

The EIMPA members have already drawn up a priority list of some central Calcutta cinemas that will have twin screens. And soon, it is hoped, Jyoti, Metro, Elite and Basusree will be “multiplexes”.