BY KK MOIDU
THE United Arab Emirates is witnessing a boom in multiplexes which are mainly into screening English films, but several cinema halls screening movies of South Indian languages — Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu — have closed down.
Although many South Indian films are box office grossers, multiplexes are not keen to screen these pictures.
There are around 200 cinema screens in UAE. If a rough survey was to be done, one would find that about 80 per cent of these screens show English films, 15 per cent show Hindi films and a few select screens show Arabic films.
Less than five per cent of the cinema halls screen South Indian films.
After the closure of Al Nasr Cinema in Dubai, Metro Cinema in Sharjah, South Indian cinegoers are in despair as they do not have enough facilities to watch their favourite heroes on the silver screen.
Al Hamra Cinema in Sharjah was earlier showing Malayalam films but now it has started screening Hindi films.
Al Nasr Cinema in Dubai which had closed down early last year, used to screen Malayalam and Tamil films. The Deira Cinema which had closed down a couple of years ago was also another popular venue for screening Malayalam and Tamil films.
At present, Galleria Cinema I is the only theatre which has four shows for new Malayalam releases. On the other hand, Galleria II screens four shows of new Tamil movies. Although Plaza Cinema screens Malayalam films, there is only one show which is at 1:30pm. Donya Cinema in Jebel Ali also shows Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films, but they screen it one or two weeks after the movie is released.
There are around 100 cinema screens in Dubai and 75 of them screen English movies. More than 15 screens show Hindi films, few screens show Arabic and Iranian films and the rest five screens have South Indian movies.
At present in Sharjah, Concorde Cinema is the only theatre which screens Malayalam films. The hall has four shows daily and a midnight show on first Thursday of every month. Earlier, Metro Cinema and Al Hamra Cinema used to have three shows for Malayalam films. Since Metro was closed recently, Al Hamra now screens only Hindi films.
Although Metro Cinema was in Al Khan, people residing in Dubai used to take pains to reach here. This was due to ample parking facilities available around that area. Al Hamra Cinema near Lulu Centre in Rolla, also has good parking facilities.
Concorde Cinema near Clock Tower is one of the biggest movie halls in the United Arab Emirates. But on weekends, people return without getting tickets for megastar movies. The lack of parking facilities is another problem for cinegoers who go to Concorde Cinema.
People from other emirates like Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah also come to Sharjah Concorde for watching the new releases.
This has happened because cinema halls in Northern Emirates screen new Malayalam movies, couple of weeks after their release in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
So on the movie’s premier day, fans who have no patience to wait till two weeks, drive down to Sharjah to watch their favourite stars on the silver screen.
Sasi Kumar, a Sharjah reisdent who regularly watches Malayalam movies at Concorde Cinema on the first day of its release, said,”I couldn’t watch Maayavi which stars Mammootty and Chotta Mumbai which stars Mohanlal and Vinodhayathra which has Dilip in lead, for the first three days of its release as tickets were not available.” Kumar has solved this problem by going for the 4.30pm show.
Anjali Unnikrishnan, a working woman and mother-of-two, said: “I watch new Malayalam films regularly. Earlier, we used to go for movies on Thursdays and Fridays. But now, I don’t go even if I get a ticket because it is too crowded. I don’t like to watch with a huge crowd. I prefer to watch movies on weekdays so that I can watch it at peace.”
In Sharjah and Northern Emirates more than 50 screens are available, around 10 screens show Hindi films, Concorde Cinema screens new Malayalam releases. Granada Cinema in Umm Al Quwain, Plaza Cinema in Fujairah, and one screen in Dana Cinema Fujairah also screens Malayalam films one or two week after its release. Other screens only show English films and a few Arabic films.
The situation in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE is no different. Around 80 per cent of the screens in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are reserved for English films. Around 10 per cent screens show Hindi films. Eldorado I and Eldorado II in Abu Dhabi have four shows for Malayalam and Tamil films. They also have morning shows on Fridays.
For major blockbusters they have two screens to play one film so that they can avoid rush. Club Cinema in Al Ain also screens Malayalam films.
In the coming days, the cinema halls screening South Indian movies are expected to attract huge crowds. High-profile Tamil movies like Sivaji The Boss starring Rajnikant and Dasavatharam starring Kamal Hassan will soon be released. Major Malayalam films like Mission 90 Days, Time, Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri, Nagaram, Goal, Khaki, Nazrani, Alibhai, Hello etc. will soon hit the screens. This will add to the already crowded atmosphere. During festivals like Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Onam, Vishu, Christmas only a few cinegoers get seats and a huge section of the public returns home dissapointed.
Since English films have shorter durations, most theatres play six or seven shows in most of the screens. On the other hand, South Indian movies have a longer duration, hence there is no possibility of running more than four shows.
South Indian film lovers, who form a sizeable number among the expat population in the UAE, say they have a genuine grievance. They want more theatres to screen movies of their interest.
