Spick ’n’ Span: A section of visitors at a mall-cum-multiplex

Pratik Gupta,
Kankurgachhi

Multiplexes offer a wide choice of movies under the same roof and hence are stealing a march on single-screen theatres. The range and quality of services offered at the multiplexes are a cut above the competition. The service staff, too, are better behaved. Thanks to multiplexes, blackmarketing of tickets has reduced.

Ujjai Bhattacharya,
CIT Road

Multiplexes are killing single-screen theatres, and viewers are benefiting in the process. Multiplexes offer state-of-the-art facilities in a pleasant ambience. Middle-aged and old people enjoy that as much as the youths. While single-screen theatres focus exclusively on films, multiplexes offer a recreation package. And with their ticket prices on a downslide, there?s nothing more that viewers can ask for.

Suparnaa Sinha,
Motilal Nehru Road

The multiplex culture is still at a nascent stage in India. A bulk of the population still prefers single-screen theatres, which offer less comfort but are more affordable. Multiplexes are only frequented by those with deep pockets. An average movie buff will not choose them over single-screen theatres in the near future.

Nidhi poddar,
Salt Lake

Single-screen theatres will eventually lose their price advantage over multiplexes. Sophisticated ambience, greater choice and other facilities would tilt the scale in favour of the latter.

Sohini Roy,
Sarat Chatterjee Avenue

Some single-screen theatres offer facilities comparable with those offered by multiplexes, hence it is sad that the latter are losing out to the former. One of the reasons people flock to multiplexes is that the shows start at convenient times. However, the viewer has not gained much in the fight between single-screens and multiplexes with the price of the tickets on their way up.

Tuhin Purakayastha,
Parnashree Pally

Without bringing the ticket prices down, multiplexes will not be able to kill the single-screen theatres. Not many people can afford to spend upwards of Rs 100 to watch a movie.

Tapan Pal,
Batanagar

The rise of multiplexes is not necessarily related with the demise of single-screen theatres. The latter are dying a natural death due to a variety of reasons, government regulation limiting the price of tickets being the most important of them. Add to that the greed of the hall-owners and their apathy in investing for the comfort of viewers, and the recipe for disaster is ready. Single-screen theatres are modern-day dinosaurs; it is futile to shed tears for them.

Ranadip Das,
Panihati

The prices of tickets at multiplexes and single-screen theatres being almost equal, people would prefer the former since they offer greater facilities and more security. Online ticket-booking is possible in the multiplexes unlike at most of the single-screen theatres. The latter are destined to close down soon.

Indranil Sanyal,
Dhakuria

Multiplexes charge exorbitantly and only the upper-middle class people can afford to visit them. Moreover, commuting to the Calcutta mulitplexes is a problem as they are located on the outskirts. Hence, even now, single-screen halls are far more popular than multiplexes.

Payel Bhattacharyya,
Joka

I don?t think so. Purely from a commercial point of view, multiplexes are only for people from upper classes. As long as the majority of the population remains middle-class or poor in the city, multiplexes will not replace single-screen halls.

Vinay Dokania,
Howrah

I think the multiplexes have already vanquished the single-screen theatres and are only competing amongst themselves. If money is not an issue, people will invariably opt for the comforts of a multiplex. Now that the prices of tickets at the multiplexes are coming down, single-screens will suffer badly.

Moumita Nandi,
Behala

Multiplexes have already captured a significant percentage of the clientele of single-screen theatres. People visit multiplexes for a complete entertainment package and not just to watch films. The single-screen theatres will, however, continue to thrive until multiplexes bring down their ticket prices. The majority of Calcuttans do not earn enough to enjoy the multiplex experience on a regular basis.

Aliasgar Poonawala,
Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road

The impact of multiplexes can be gauged from the fact that certain films are not released in single-screen theatres at all. However, many people still prefer to watch blockbusters in single-screen halls. Once more multiplexes come up, the single screen halls might disappear altogether.