Berhampur: Even as the Multiplex Association of India claimed that a record number of moviegoers visited cinemas across India on National Cinema Day, the theatres in Odisha’s Berhampur city witnessed a lukewarm response.
In order to celebrate the day and revive the moviegoers’ interest in watching their films on big screen, the single screen movie halls and multiplexes had brought down the ticket cost to Rs 75. Besides, Hindi films ‘Chup’ starring Sunny Deol and “Dhoka’ were released in the theatres across the country on the day.
But almost all 5 film halls in the city witnessed very poor tournout of the viewers. “We were expecting to do good business from Friday. We released new films and brought down the ticket prices. But the response from the viewers was very poor,” said the owner of a film theatres.
It may be noted that the film halls have been sustaining huge losses after restrictions were imposed on the spectators in the wake of COVID pandemic for the last two years. Except a few Telugu films, no Odia or Hindi film has done good business in the city during the period.
Meanwhile, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) claimed that a record number of cinemagoers went to the movies on the day to celebrate the National Cinema Day. More than 4,000 screens across the country participated in the initiative.
The one-day initiative saw a massive response from the Indian moviegoers. A record number of over 6.5 million viewers visited their local cinema to celebrate the day, it added.
