Not just during protests over film releases, we have to deal with hooligans even for ‘tasteless coffee’ and ‘cold popcorn, say cinemas

On Thursday night time, a gaggle of MNS employees thrashed the executive of a PVR multiplex in Pune over the price of food items sold there. The subsequent day, a video of the incident went viral on social media. While a number of incidents of hooliganism and vandalism in cinema halls by way of groups protesting the release of movies were reported from around the country, assaulting of cinema corridor team of workers over food prices is a rarity. However, exhibitors say that hooliganism and attack over such petty problems is moderately not unusual, however to steer clear of bad exposure, multiplexes continuously don’t report it. In January this yr, after ‘Padmaavat’ used to be cleared by way of the CBFC, many cinema halls in NCR had been vandalised and the team of workers there used to be threatened and assaulted by way of groups protesting the movie’s liberate. Last yr in December, plenty of theatres, which were screening Salman Khan-starrer ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, had been vandalised. Before that, theatres screening – and even exhibiting posters of – films like ‘PK’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ had been focused by way of protesters. Cinema house owners say that now, they have to handle hooligans now not simplest when a movie offends a gaggle, but additionally for ‘cold popcorn’, ‘tasteless coffee’, ‘prime charge of food items’, and ‘useless frisking’. They say that even stopping drunk moviegoers can end up unhealthy for the protection in their team of workers and consumers.

Not just Pune, such incidents are not unusual in Gurgaon and Faridabad as well
Tinku Singh, Group President, SRS Cinemas, says, “For exhibitors, the Pune incident has now not come as a wonder. Such incidents are not unusual, however most commonly, cinema halls either don’t report these incidents, or after they do, now not much is done. In this case, anyone made a video which went viral, and the incident used to be reported. Assaulting cinema team of workers over problems like the price of popcorn, seats, etc is moderately not unusual.”
Adding that these incidents occur in different towns as well, he says, “Around five-six months ago, a gaggle of legal professionals had crushed up all the team of workers members at our cinema corridor in Lucknow as a result of they felt the popcorn used to be now not warm enough. In Gurgaon and Faridabad, visitors continuously attack the team of workers for petty problems, and now and again even for frisking. Three months ago, in Gurgaon, our team of workers used to be crushed by way of a gaggle of boys over the price of water bottles.”

A clip of the incident where a gaggle of other people belonging to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) assaulted the assistant manager of a Pune multiplex over prime prices of food items sold there

‘We don’t want to waste time filing court cases’
In maximum hooliganism incidents, exhibitors rarely take any motion. When protesters warned cinema house owners in Gurgaon and Noida against the screening of ‘Padmaavat’ and vandalised their field offices, multiplexes didn’t sign up any court cases. Cinema managers say that house owners ask them to chorus from commenting or complaining to the police about these incidents. A cinema manager at a NCR multiplex says, “During ‘Padmaavat’, ‘PK’ or ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, other people had been talking concerning the protesters, so incidents of vandalism had been reported. Otherwise, there are plenty of such incidents which cross not noted. We chorus from pursuing these cases because it’s just a waste of time.”

After the 'Padmaavat' protest, cinema house owners in Delhi expressed fear over how hooliganism in the title of protest has grow to be applicable

‘We don’t need bad exposure’

A cinema manager says, “After ‘Padmaavat’ used to be released, protesters bought tickets in order that they might enter the corridor and create ruckus. We needed to substitute such a lot of seats due to vandalism after the release of that movie. But no one needs to complain about it as a result of if consumers find out that it used to be your cinema corridor where this happened, they would favor going to every other multiplex. People cross to look at films with their families and children, and they steer clear of places where such incidents can occur.”

Yogesh Raizada, Corporate Head, Wave Cinemas, adds, “We are in the hospitality industry and this is a given in our industry. We train our team of workers to be polite, however company. However, we will’t prevent such incidents totally and should handle this hooliganism. No one in the industry can title even one cinema corridor where the exhibitor or the team of workers members haven’t faced hooligans. But we don’t complain because it’s bad exposure for us.”

‘We have the local police on speed dial, bouncers dressed as cinema team of workers’

Cinema house owners say that the majority theatres are upgrading their infrastructure with more CCTV cameras, unbreakable glass walls at the field office, and proscribing cinema corridor get entry to to just those who have bought tickets. Cinema managers say that they also stay the local police on their speed dial. A manager at a corridor in Faridabad says, “Hamare yahan Saturday night time bahut unhealthy hoti hai. We ask the local police to station their PCR vans outside our theatres in Gurgaon and Faridabad.”

Not just police officers, however to handle these incidents, exhibitors additionally hire bouncers. A cinema proprietor says, “Our bouncers are dressed as team of workers members and are stationed at the entrance each time wanted.” A manager at a multiplex in Delhi adds, “We don’t need moviegoers to understand that we've got bouncers, in order that they’re dressed as team of workers members.”