Cinema halls pin biz hopes on I-Day weekend in Kolkata – Times of India

KOLKATA: The Independence Day weekend is expected to usher in good news for city movie-goers — Indira has opened on Wednesday while Navina, Menoka, Ashoka, Ajanta, Bijoli, Chhabighar and New Empire are opening on Friday. Priya, however, has pushed its opening to Sunday.

With the 13th falling on a Friday, horror seems to be the favourite genre for exhibitors reopening with new releases. For English movie-goers, ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ is this Friday’s Hollywood release pick. Kushagra Jalan of Jalan Distributors told TOI that Priya, Menoka, Navina, Ashoka, Ajanta and multiplexes will be screening it. “Approximately 20 properties will be screening this film in Kolkata. We are also releasing ‘Nobody’ — an action thriller — to approximately 12 properties in Kolkata. This weekend should provide a proper restart for the box office,” Jalan said.
Menoka’s owner Pranab Kumar Roy said, “This is a popular franchise and should bring in good numbers.”
Priya’s owner Arijit Dutta said, “My office staff want to reopen on Sunday. I am following their views.” INOX Hiland Park has reopened on Wednesday while the South City property will reopen on Saturday.
A Bengali film titled ‘Horror Stories’ will be screened in Nandan 2 from Friday. Exhibitor Satadeep Saha, said, “It’s ghosts for Bengali and English movie-goers this week. Next week, thrillers will be in with ‘Bell Bottom’, ‘Mukhosh’ and ‘Fast and Furious 9’.”
There will be some thriller this Friday too. “New Empire will reopen on Friday with Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘D Company’,” said Amit Sengupta, manager of Humayan Properties Ltd, which runs the theatre. Suranjan Paul is reopening Bijoli and Chhabighar with the same film. The initial plan was to have only the 3pm and 5pm shows. “Since our CM has relaxed the night curfew till 11pm, I am thinking of reworking the timings and might opt for the 2.30pm, 4.45pm and 7pm slots depending on footfall,” Paul said.
But not everyone is hopeful about numbers yet. Indira’s owner Rajendra Bagaria, who reopened with ‘Radhe’ before the big release of Akshay Kumar’s film on August 19, said, “I’m hoping that business will pick up with that film.”