Theatres fight with hotels for Kabali

Rajinikanth is a game-changer. In the run-up to the release of his latest,

Kabali

, five-star

hotels

in the city did what they've never done before - turn into cinema halls. The hotels announced that they would screen the movie over the weekend. Tickets for the shows were priced between Rs 1,300 and Rs 1,400; top city hotels, including

JW Marriott

,

Royal Orchid

(

Yelahanka

),

Crowne Plaza

and

The Lalit Ashok

jumped on the bandwagon. Tickets were snapped up within hours. Mayhem followed; fans couldn't wait till Friday.

Here's the dampener then: On Tuesday,

theatre

owners approached the deputy commissioner and the home department saying that screening of films in hotels was illegal. Theatre owner and former president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (

KFCC

) KV Chandrashekar said, "We have heard that the tax department has been approached and permission has been sought by calling the screening an 'event.' But this is completely illegal. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) issues a certificate for 'theatrical release' and not for release in any hotel."

Chandrashekhar said hotels were not suitable platforms for exhibition of movies and they were doing it just to make a quick buck. "Rules say that existing buildings to be considered a film theatre have to get approval from five different departments and it takes six months. Tomorrow, someone will say, let me screen a film in Sri Kanteerava Stadium and fill up 10,000 people. Just to make a quick buck, you cannot screen films anywhere you want. What will happen to regular theatres if this is allowed," he asked.


Another former president of KFCC, Thomas D'souza said, "Licences for theatres that have been running for decades will not be renewed by the DC if there is a single certificate missing. You have to get no-objection certificate from the fire, electric, PWD, health and the city corporation before the DC decides if the place is fit to screen films. If you want to screen films, do it legally. We have already complained to the DC about Kabali being screened in hotels and are also talking to the home department."

However, Tulsiram Naidu of Lahari Music who is releasing the film in the hotels, defended the move saying that it will benefit the industry.

"All five-star hotels have permissions from all departments. They have the necessary licence for weddings and live shows. The same applies to film screening. I do not know why they are afraid of 300-500 people watching it in five-star hotels. Not everyone can afford to pay Rs 1,200 and watch it in a five-star hotel. People who want to watch the movie in theatres will watch it there itself. Nobody can stop entertainment. They have to take it sportingly and understand that it is the film makers who will benefit ultimately. If this innovative move succeeds, soon we will have films of Puneeth Rajkumar and Shivanna being screened in five-star hotels. It will benefit our industry."

A spokesperson of The Lalit Ashok told Bangalore Mirror that the hotel was going ahead with screening the movie only over the weekend as the even management company had taken all the licences and clearances. Whatever the outcome of the fight that Rajini has started, it sure will be one helluva weekend. And a game-changer at that.