BHOPAL: Volume of business in the malls and markets in the periphery of cinema halls has taken a hit due to closure of multiplexes and cinema halls in the city since the nation-wide lockdown in March last year. With the multiplexes and cinema halls opening for the public with the release of Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Bell Bottom’ on Wednesday, traders in the malls and markets in the vicinity of cinema halls may get a boost in their business, If the cinema halls and multiplexes remain open and not get closed for want of viewers.
At Aura mall in Trilanga, the food court is closed as footfall in the mall has been considerably affected not only due to the corona pandemic but also because of the closure of PVR multiplex screens in the mall. Though the food court here was not as big as DB Mall in MP Nagar, the closure of food court is a clear indication that multiplexes play a crucial role in attracting the crowd to a mall.
On Wednesday, though the attendance of viewers to watch Bell Bottom remained thin, the row of cars by the side of the mall was back, indicating screening of Bell Bottom in the PVR multiplex of the mall has at least made some impact.
An executive at the mall, asked whether the closure of multiplexes has affected the overall volume of business in the malls, said “Of course. Multiplexes make a lot of difference to business in other units of the mall. Half the crowd in a mall like ours come to watch movies”, he said.
Rahul Kumar of Capital Mall said “Inox multiplexes in our mall are functional as of now. But, when they are closed, it does affect the overall business in a mall. I can’t tell you quantitatively how much but there is a palpable impact. There are certain businesses like food & beverages, which are directly connected to multiplexes. People when they come to see a film with friends or families, they don’t see the film alone.
They also shop, have food or snacks or beverages. Besides, in the absence of multiplexes operating, walkins in the mall reduces by at least 30 percent. People, who are coming to buy things will come but the crowd, which comes for window shopping or just for the sake of going to a mall, they stop coming to malls if the multiplexes are closed.”
Vinay Harwani of Manohar Dairy said “Closure of cinema halls and multiplexes does affect business. When a familyplans to go to watch a film, it has an elaborate agenda. We shall watch the film in Jyoti Talkies, shop in DB Mall and some of them surely have on their agenda food or snacks at Manohar Dairy. I can’t give you figures but it has definitely affected our business”, he said.
On the other side of Rangmahal & Sangeet cineplexes (situated in the same compound), there are several shops of tea, snacks, beverages and pan. Ask anyone of them, how their business has been affected by prolonged closure of Rangmahal Talkies, they would tell you how there used to be a queue of people to have snacks or tea at their shop just before the show time or when the show ended.
