No movies beyond Cinderella hour in Ahmedabad

Patel confirmed that since February 3,when the operations of the Mexican company was suspended for a month,there have been no cinema shows beginning at 11 pm and 11:15 pm.

Asked if such a order will put a full-stop to late-night cinema viewing for a city that has virtually no night life,Patel said,“It seems this is what the government wants.” Patel said the association had not taken up the suspension issue with the government authorities as Cinepolis was not a member.

On December 21,2011,when entertainment inspectors landed at AlphaOne mall 15 minutes past midnight,the Mexican multiplex chain,which operates six screens at the mall,was found operating four shows that began after 10:30 pm. Its licence was suspended for a month on February 3,2012. In the suspension notice issued by the Ahmedabad district collector,“competition in business” was cited as one of the reasons that prompted Cinepolis to run late night shows. So where was this competition for Cinepolis coming from?

An analysis done by The Indian Express of the theatre timings advertised during the last one-and-a-half month showed there were at least 130 late night shows (including those of Cinepolis) scheduled in the city.

Even during the week (December 16-22,2011) when the entertainment inspectors conducted a surprise inspection of Cinepolis,there were at least 20 shows that went beyond midnight.

Be it Big Cinemas,Red Carpet,PVR,Dev Arc,Shiv or Cinepolis,there have been instances where Bollywood and Hollywood films were scheduled as late as 11:15 pm.

According to multiplex operators who did not wish to be quoted,even a 90-minute Hollywood flick that began at 10:30 pm would easily go beyond midnight,while Hindi movies like Don and Agneepath,almost three hours in length,would finish as late as 2 am. Almost all the movies also have a 10-15 minute break in between.

“After the Cinepolis episode,I have instructed my entertainment inspectors to regularly visit cinemas and ensure that none of them are breaching the licence conditions,” says Vijay Nehra,district collector of Ahmedabad. He said action against Cinepolis was taken after a complaint from the residents living nearby.

“These late-night shows,usually finishing at 2 am,have become an irritant for the residents in the neighbourhood,” said Manish Shah,one of the signatories on the complaint made to the collector.

Shah is a resident of Sansaria towers,one of the 11 residential societies in Vastrapur area where Cinepolis is located.

Though officials of Cinepolis,which has a total seating capacity of 1200,refused to comment,official sources said it has approached a higher authority for a review of the suspension order. The suspension is due to end on March 3,2012.