And now, 24x7 multiplexes...

Imagine... you watch an M Night Shyamalan film in the wee hours of the morning and then follow it up with breakfast on the table!
If Australia can offer 24-hour shows and London can have very late-night shows over the weekend, why not Delhi? "The idea did cross my mind," says PVR Cinemas director Sanjiv Bijli, "specially after the government announced the late-night shopping hours." Such shows are a hit Down Under he adds, "Multiplexes in malls are the best option; they provide wholesome entertainment in terms of clubs, eateries and movie halls." Bijli hopes to raise this issue with Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and Union tourism minister Renuka Chowdhury "to remove hurdles and tackle incidental issues — governmental, infrastructural and safety — before venturing out on this. We can start with late night shows on weekends, and seeing the response to this, can move further."
Says DT Cinemas director Pia Singh, "This depends on the demand of cine-goers." She remembers the time when the last show would be at 9 pm. "11 pm shows were not heard of." However, all-night cinemas are not common abroad, "there too the last show is at about 11 pm. Of course, there are odd cases where cinemas run shows through the night, but in all major cinema halls abroad, they do not have 24-hour running shows." The 11 pm show, according to Singh, "elicits a good response. If there is a demand for later shows, we can take a call on that."
But are the city''s beautiful people ready for a late-night rendezvous with their favo urite celluloid stars? Says Radico Khaitan MD Abhishek Khaitan: "Certainly. And not only will this attract tourists and local people, this will also to the revenue of the exchequer. I''ll go all out to have an all-night affair with cinema, specially over they weekends, like they have in London."
Fashion model Carol Gracias'' enthusiasm for late-night cinema comes with a rider: The safety factor. "As long as safety is ensured, both inside the cinema hall and outside it, I''m game for really late-night shows. For, this will be a totally different experience altogether!"
"When I travel abroad, I come across cinemas where you just walk in and start watching the film any time you want," says MNC executive Vinnie Garg. "The options for this as against all-night cafes and clubs are less, but the fact is that the options are there."
For fashion designer Vijay Arora, "having all-night shows on weekdays may not be a good idea, considering the 9 to 5 jobs that most people have. But yes, during weekends, such filmi expeditions should be fun!"
So, with late-night shopping a possibility now, should late night cinema viewing be far behind?