Football pulls crowds to cine halls

KOLKATA: Move over Hrithik Roshan, Argentina’s golden-haired goal getter Gabriel Batistuta is here to take over matinee shows.
Faced with the worst-ever turnout in recent times, cinema hall owners and distributors are dumping films for football and the city is game for it.
On Tuesday, Metro cinema screened all four World Cup matches live on a giant screen inside its premises.Only valid ticket holders were allowed in.
More people watched France lose to Denmark on the special projector put up on the first floor lounge than the Deol brothers’ nationalistic antics in Shaheed.
“The film shows are still on but we are getting a good crowd for the matches too,� said a hall employee.
Other hall owners may take the Metro route soon. Many of them admitted it would make more sense to screen the World Cup matches than expensive films in near-empty halls.
The owner of Purabi and Ujjwala cinema halls, Dilip Kankaria, is mulling screening important matches instead of matinee shows. “We might screen the semi-finals and final,� said Kankaria.
Despite screening blockbusters like the Legend of Bhagat Singh and Mere yar ki shadi hai, ticket sales at his halls are abysmal. “At present all shows are running at huge losses,� he said.
Surinder Singh, EIMPA deputy chairman for distribution, is worried. “The situation is really bad,� he said. “Even the two Bhagat Singh movies and the blockbuster Hum kisise kum nahin with the Big B, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan are failing to attract the crowds. On weekdays less than 30 per cent tickets are being sold,� he rued.