#CinemaLoversDay: A fantastic Friday for cine buffs in the state

It turned out to be a fantastic Friday for movie buffs as well as multiplexes in Gujarat, as Cinema Lovers’ Day managed to pull in the crowds. Pratik Patel, a movie buff, tells us, “It was after almost six months that I watched a film at a multiplex with my entire family, and a few friends joined in too. It’s a great initiative and we had great fun.”

Be it new releases or other films, multiplexes say that the response was encouraging. Theatres across the city participated in the celebrations, with ticket prices reduced to Rs 99 for the entire day. In some theatres, the evening shows were houseful after a long time.

‘There was good response even for morning and afternoon shows’

With the reduced ticket prices, multiplexes witnessed more rush than usual throughout the day. Prashant Patel, owner of an Ahmedabad-based multiplex, says, “Two big movies (in Hindi and Gujarati) were released yesterday, which helped us to pull in more crowds. While evening shows usually witness great response anyway, there was good response for morning shows too.”

The manager of a city-based multiplex seconds him, “We sold more tickets even for morning and afternoon shows. Our evening shows were houseful after a long time. I think lower ticket prices brought the audience back to theatres. In fact, we also got a lot of bulk bookings, where more than 15 tickets were bought by some families and friends.”

‘This was a much-needed initiative for multiplexes’

Multiplex owners are happy that after it was cancelled earlier due to the Lok Sabha elections, Cinema Lovers’ Day eventually made a comeback this year. Sunny Suryavanshi, owner of a Vadodara-based multiplex, tells us, “The last four months have been dull for us in terms of business as there haven’t been any major hits. Thanks to Cinema Lovers’ Day, there were a lot of advance bookings too and we witnessed good response. This was a much-needed initiative for multiplexes.”

It’s a win-win situation for theatres and audiences: Tarjanee Bhadla

Actress Tarjanee Bhadla, who joined us for the celebrations, says that “it’s a great initiative.” She adds, “Such offers are amazing, and I have witnessed it first-hand. My film Fakt Mahilao Maate was running in theatres on one such day, and we saw a massive surge in box office collections. The reduced ticket rates certainly attract cine buffs and ensure more footfall. It’s a win-win situation for theatres and audiences.”



‘We made special food combos for cine buffs’

While watching a film, relishing popcorn and beverages is a must for many and some multiplexes came up with special combos. “We usually serve popcorn in two sizes, but we made a special combo package for the audience yesterday. The popcorn tub was designed differently, and the rates were reduced to ensure a wholesome experience for cine buffs,” shares a representative from a city-based multiplex.