Cast members of Always Kabhi Kabhi and (below) Bin Bulaye Baarati at promotional events for the films in Mumbai. (AFP)

Patna, June 16: Residents, be assured, you won’t be able to catch Bharat Bhushan in action. Professor X is also off the radar.

As Ready continues its steady run at Mona and Regent well into its third week, movie buffs have scant option over the weekend. Of six movies set to release nationwide tomorrow, residents can hope to catch only Always Kabhi Kabhi, Bin Bulaye Baarati and Bhindi Bazar Inc.

Vinay Pathak-starrer Bheja Fry 2 will be missed. As will dramas Cycle Kick and My Husband’s Wife.

Sources at Mona confirmed that Ready will be screened in four shows out of a total five. Three out of five shows at Regent are confirmed to screen the Salman Khan starrer.

Adding to the sorrow of the movie buffs, the release of X-Men: First Class has been cancelled. The fifth film in the X-Men franchise that released in the country last Friday was postponed to June 17 in Patna because of Ready’s collections. However, as Salman’s Prem seems to be in no mood to stop attracting audience at Mona and Regent, it’s a no-show for the X-Men, thanks to crisis of cinemas in the state capital.

“It is because of the acute hall crisis in Patna that we are not able to release X-Men: First Class. I feel bad that the people of Patna would also not be able to catch Bheja Fry 2, which is a family entertainer,” said Devashis Sarkar, the zonal head of Venkatesh Films.

Calcutta-based Venkatesh Films is the distributor of X-Men: First Class and Bheja Fry 2 in eastern India.

Sarkar also said: “It is not that we did not want to release these movies here. We are unable to release them as we have not been given any shows. It is a loss for the films and the audience. I believe that it is high time the city is gifted a few multiplexes to break the existing monopoly.”

Movie buffs are obviously disappointed with the news.

“The Bheja Fry films are complete paisa vasool movies. I have seen Bheja Fry and Vinay Pathak makes sure that the audience laugh their heart out during the movie. It is also very unfair that a mega-entertainer like X-Men is not being released in Patna. The movie scene in Patna has gone from bad to worse,” said Subhendu Datta, a resident.

Officials of cinemas admit the crisis of screens.

“There are only two cinemas in the city and they are absolutely insufficient to screen every movie. Upcoming movies are booked according to the collection and as majority of films these days have newcomers, one can never be sure if a new movie will do good business or not. When a movie like Ready gives good collection in the third week, it is not feasible to remove it, so ultimately release of other movies is postponed,” said an employee at Mona cinema.

So, we, the film buffs, are left with a morning show of Always Kabhi Kabhi at 10am in Regent and Bin Bulaye Baarati at 9.45am in Mona.

The fate of Bhindi Bazar Inc. hangs in the balance, as Regent sources said they are juggling two options for the night show — Bhindi Bazaar Inc. and Bin Bulaye Baarati. Let’s see who wins!