Orient then and now(below)

Orient, the 62-year-old cinema hall on Bentinck Street that last screened a film in 2004, reopened this weekend — no, not to take advantage of the plex-producer showdown, but to host a retail chain’s clearance sale.

Orient is among the many standalone theatres that are unlikely to return to the film business despite the comeback opportunity presented by the revenue-sharing conflict between producers and plexes. The other landmark halls in the list are Jamuna, Lighthouse and Grace.

“When we closed down our occupancy was 10-15 per cent of our capacity. We weren’t making any money. At that time there was just one multiplex i.e. Inox Forum, and we couldn’t compete with it in terms of technology. We weren’t as attractive (to the cinegoer) in terms of comfort either,” said Lalit Kankaria, the proprietor of Orient.

He brought the curtain down on the business after failing to earn enough to pay the bills and salaries.

“Our licensing authority was strict with rules and regulations that prevented us from running a show before noon or after midnight. They would also control our ticket prices, which remained low irrespective of weekends or the popularity of a film. We were fed up with our distributors asking for big money. Entertainment tax was high, too,” Kankaria recalled.

He did try to revive the business but there were far too many hurdles. “We spent Rs 22 lakh on overhauling our air-conditioning system. We also upgraded our equipment and changed the flooring and seating. What we couldn’t do was convert it into a multiplex because we were told the structure would need to be demolished and rebuilt. That would have taken us three years and we didn’t have the resources to hang on,” said Kankaria, who also owns the theatre hall Rangmahal in north Calcutta that was converted into a ceremony house nearly 12 years ago.

So, will Orient become a full-time “sale” destination now?

Kankaria said the foray into retail was more of an “experiment” than a commercial venture. “Orient was lying vacant for many years and Kishore Biyani, the owner of Big Bazaar, is a friend. So, when he wanted to try out the space for an exhibition sale, I agreed. Depending on the response, the ‘sale’ might stay longer than intended,” said Kankaria.

This is not the first time that someone has approached Kankaria with a business proposal for Orient, a has-been in showbiz but still a prime piece of real estate.

“Since we shut down the hall, we have received proposals ranging from setting up a film studio to turning the building into office space. We will, however, consider a business plan only when we are in a position to develop the entire building. We would like to do something in line with our history,” said Kankaria.

Cinema probably isn’t that “something”.