On the auspicious ocassion of "Laximi Pooja" (a day after the Dipawali celebrations ) -- today 12th November,2004 at a glittering function held in the tastefully decorated state of art "INOX MOVIE MULTIPLEX" Goa's Chief Minister Mr Manohar Parrikar this evening inaugurated the first four screen movie Multiplex in the State located just behind Asia's oldest "ex-Goa Medical College Hospital Building" in existing since the erstwhile Portuguese regime.
The Multiplex is the creation of the 750 crores INOX GROUP"s Inox Leisure Limited "Entertainment Group" a subsidiary of the Gujarat based Gujarat Flurochemicals Ltd. It has varied plans for being market leaders in the cinema exhibition Industry though they claim no experience in the field of cinema. They have to their credit a Multiplex in a) Kolkatta in West Bengal b) Vadodora (earlier known as Baroda) in Gujarat c) Pune Maharashtra . They have a couple of days ago inaugurated yet another multiplex in South Mumbai Maharashtra and today in Panaji Goa. Plans are on the anvil for more Multiplexes in Noida (UP) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) and Bangalore (Karnataka) . The Goa Multiplex has 4 screen and a total sitting capacity of 1272 seats. The movies slated for screening on day one which incidentally is Saturday not Friday --the 13th, November 2004 are Mr Yash Chopra's "Veer Zaara" Mr Ram Gopal Verma's "Naach" and Mr Abbas Mustan's "Altraaz" in the Hindi Film category and "Garfield the Movie" After bold advertisements on all local dailies yesterday, there were few takers early this morning when Advance ticket bookings commenced from 12th to 18th November, 2004 apparently a precussor to the IFFI Goa. A delighted Vice President -Operations INOX Leisure Ltd was busy giving briefs to an young team of booking assistant mostly Goans who were dressed in colourful out fit red and black and head phones -- standing behind computer screens and decked with head phones had plans drawn before them for seating arrangements. Then at exactly 1000 hrs the day of reckoning began the Vice President Operations a young burly Mr Gurinderjit Singh beckoned a senior citizen from Mumbai now settled in Goa who was the first in the Q followed by this writer. There werephotographsclicked of the first ticket holder besides a motely gathering in the Q and as a quid pro qua this writer clicked the entire team behind the counter for posterity. Only the "pedas" were missing. There was no regrets as formal launching was scheduled for the evening. Tommorrow 13th November there are four movies the first being at 1100 hrs 1130 hrs 1145 hrs 1240 hrs 1200 hrs 1415 hrs and four to six screening until 2130 hrs. Movie schedules are placed on screens just outside the booking counter to guide the viewers. There is no difference between what one sees at the prominent Airports in the country. There is a special Helpline + 91 832 2420 999 for tele bookings This writer realised that ignorance about the movie multiplex was writ large on the faces of many. There was hardly any crowd as would normally have been expected in other metropolis -- just a dozen. Most workmen and a few others . They were giving finishing touches to the raw state of constructions all over the place. Some of those that this writer interacted did not know how the movies were being shown. Infact the concept of a Movie Multiplex was not clear to them. Some others among the normal cinema goers thought that these bookings were for the India International Film Festival Goa scheduled on 29th November 2004 to 9th December 2004 while others felt that the Multiplex prices would be exhorbitant -- Someone mentioned the prices would range from Rs 50/- to Rs.110/-. Today's bookings were all for Rs.50/- . Atleast one person felt it was was a movie multiplex for the upper middle class and above. This writer had a tough time dispelling such misunderstandings, while awaiting his turn in the Q from 09140 hrs till 1000 hrs IST Later this writer had a brief tete a tete with the Vice President Operations Mr Gurinderjit Singh . Yes his first comment was that "look we completed the Movie Multiplex in a record seven months and that deserved compliments" yes indeed --- Asked about any exemptions in taxes he said "not thus far". About how would this Multiplex vie with other cinema houses in the State "well he was happy to see more -- the more the merrier we are prepared for competition" About the ticket pricing "well as of now we have not decided but we plan to have different rates in the evenings the rates could be a little higher then those in forenoon and early afternoon -- but that depends -- we need to guage the client response. "Yes he added this Mulitplex is just on the ground floor there is a FOOD COURT clean toilets and sitouts in fact the ambience is bright and pleasant "-- It is hoped cleanliness and hygiene will be maintained in the days after IFFI. A confidant Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar who was busy inspecting since 0900 hrs the area (this as he normally does said one of the security personnel. But his visits are not in the capacity of theChief Minister but as Chairman of the powerful Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation which oversees the entire infrastructure arrangements for the Film Festival ) ------had indeed in an earlier interview chided the Cinema Theatre owners for the poor surroundings in the existing theatres in the State. Apparently he was referring to the poor seats infested with cockroaches bugs and unclean toilets one encounters in the States cinema houses. He expressed displeasure that "not even part of the funds generated out of screening earnings were recycled to give the audience a respectable entertainment. He hoped that this Movie Multiplex will awaken the theatre magnets of their stupor. Misfortune via a fire struck the twin theatre movie multiplex Hollywood and Bollywood a few days ago located on the third and fourth floor of the OSIA South Goa Planning Development Authority Complex near the KTC Bus terminus in Margao South Goa. Or else Goa would have two by now one in the South the other in the North. With these movie multiplexes tourists and Goans will have high quality entertainment in the State. "We are looking for Quality tourists " the CM had stated some time ago and Goa indeed needs such high standards given its rating as a prime tourist destination in the country as announced by Union Mininister for Tourism Mrs Renuka Choudhury MP from Andhra Pradesh at a recent Goan Festival in new Delhi. Even Dr Jaipal Redd Minister for Informations & Broadcasting was unanimous of the view that Goa will continue to be the permanent venue for the IFFI henceforth despite claims from West Bengal which has produced enormous filmi personalites. But one thing stands out the whole of Panaji looks a veritable construction debris ridden and there is still a good fortnight to put things in shape. This writer visited the main office of IFFI and found that the GMC building is empty and lots need to be done before the team from New Delhi arrives i.e on 16th even at the Kala Academy this writer walked all over the venue and interacted with the staff in the office of the CEO and found that 17 days is indeed a dangerously low time for what needs to be put in place. But there is much confidence from the way the non Goan and some Goan workmen toil both day and night. Even some on fasting owing to Ramadan. It is sad that they would never be a part of the celebrations. It would be worthy if Mr Sanjith Rodrigues the CEO of the Entertainment Society or the Chairman of GSIDC the CM will honour these workman atleast with a decent meal on the penultimate day and a commendation certificate on 21st November, 2004 where a bash up is scheduled on the ramps of the Old Mandovi (Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru )Bridge for all the creators of IIFI Goa >From the INOX Movie MULTIPLEX - Panaji GODFREY J I GONSALVES Borda Margao Goa [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. 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