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Guwahati, Nov. 18: A hundred shabby theatres will transform into plush multiplex-style cinemas across Assam to give the state’s film industry a chance to woo back its long-lost audience.

The state government and the Cine Revival and Development Association of Assam — a group floated by producers, filmmakers, artistes and film exhibitors — are joining hands to turn 100-odd cinemas into stylish theatres with multiplex-like ambience and infrastructure.

The project will need around Rs 40 crore and will be based on public-private partnership mode to equip theatres with 2K resolution digital projectors, Dolby Digital sound and push-back seats.

The once flourishing Assamese film industry has seen a serious reversal of fortunes primarily because of poor halls. Several theatres were forced to close down for want of audience.

An official in the cultural affairs department said chief minister Tarun Gogoi was keen on implementing the project “without a delay”. “A formal announcement of the project will be made by Gogoi,” he added.

Delegates of the association held a meeting with Gogoi, cultural affairs minister Bharat Narah and secretary in the cultural affairs department Swapnanil Barua.

The government is working with the association on how the funds can be raised.

“While the government will bear a part of the amount, the rest will have to come through private participation. That’s what we are working on now,” the official said.

The secretary of film association, Bani Das, said these single-screen cinema halls “will be equipped with digital sound, high quality visuals and a host of other services, which will make watching films an enjoyable experience for the viewers.”

Das said the association would take a bank loan and pool in money from all the stakeholders of the Assamese film industry to implement the project.

The rest of the amount will be provided by the state government.

“The chief minister has assured (us) that the state government will provide a viability gap funding for the public-private partnership project,” Das added.

The Assamese film industry is one of the oldest film industries in the county.

In fact, the first Assamese film, Joymoti, was made by Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla just four years after the first Indian talkie, Alam Ara, was released.

It was a thriving film industry till late nineties, providing employment to thousands of people. There were around 400 cinemas across the state but over the years, around 300 halls have closed down.

Das said they propose to bring these 100 cinemas under one umbrella.

“The basic idea is that the film association will buy the distribution rights of movies and then exhibit the films in those cinema halls. In this way, the people living in rural and semi-urban can also watch a movie on the day of its release,” he said.

On the selection of halls, he said they will select three single-screen cinemas in Guwahati and one hall each from districts like Nagaon, Sivasagar, Tezpur, Pathsala, Morigaon, Golaghat, Dergaon, Dehkiajuli, Rangapara, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Margherita.