Guwahati, July 16: The All-Assam Cinema Hall Owners' Association today urged Dispur to chart out a policy after discussing with all the stakeholders to help the cinema halls which are shutting down to survive and revive the Assamese film industry's lost glory.
The concern comes at a time when there are reports that service charge on tickets for Assamese cinemas will be decreased.
"We want to provide better entertainment to our viewers along with uplifting the scenario of the Assamese film industry. But reduction of service charge is not the only solution. The quality of the cinema needs to be upgraded to woo viewers. So we urge the government to discuss with the cinema hall owners, producers and other stakeholders before charting a policy," Rajib Bora, secretary of the association and owner of Gold Digital Cinemas - a chain of multiplexes in Assam - told the media here this morning.
According to the Assam Amusement and Betting Tax (Amendment) Act, 2007, the service charge per ticket is Rs 5. However, in order to provide better facilities, the cinema halls were allowed to charge extra. "We were allowed to charge Rs 40 which comprised Rs 8 for installing pushback chairs, Rs 10 for Dolby digital sound system, Rs 17 for AC and Rs 5 as service charge.
"On May 4, the erstwhile Congress government in a cabinet meeting took the decision that we will have to charge Rs 14 for all the facilities while showing Assamese movies for publicity. Now it is heard that it will be brought down to Rs 12 which will lead to shutting down of several cinema halls," Bora said.
Currently, there are 52 cinema halls in the state out of which, according to the association, only 14 are able to provide all facilities and charge Rs 40 per ticket for the service.
According to sources, two cinema halls are shutting down this month. "Bijuli Cinema in Fancy Bazar will be shutting down this month and the only cinema hall of Darrang district's Kharupetia, Sri Ganesha Talkies, will also shut down. The latter will be converted into a marriage hall," the source said.
