Squash that fear, visit theatres

Multiplex owners and filmmakers adopt innovative ways to lure audiences as film collections take a severe beating due to swine flu

Crazy film buffs who line up at the ticket counter after a new movie releases have been missing for a while. People have been confined to their homes because of the dreaded swine flu, resulting in a 60 per cent dip in overall collections. Twenty-eight theatres were shut for two weeks because of the H1N1 virus that claimed 32 lives in the city.

Washout
Ajay Sarpotdar, president, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal, said, "We have incurred a 60 per cent loss. Five Marathi films released during the last few weeks and the collections have been very disappointing."

Prashant Pethe, producer of the internationally acclaimed Gabricha Paus,u00a0 said his film was a total washout. "It is easier to release a Marathi film in the USA, but there is no guarantee about it here because of the swine flu situation," he said.

Luring the audience
Multiplex owners and film producers are now trying new ways to get people to return to the theatres. Sandhya Gokhale, assistant director of the Amol Palekar-Sharmila Tagore starrer Marathi film Samantar, has planned a grand premiere of the film that will be attended by the stars. "This might bring better result," said Gokhale.

Actors Prashant Raj and Ashmit Patel who play the lead roles in the latest Bollywood flick Toss visited Inox multiplex to assure people that there is nothing to fear. "We are here to tell people not to panic about swine flu," said Patel. "We are praying that the collections increase in the coming days," said Arvind Chaphalkar, partner, Mangala Multiplex.