Closed for years, Plaza Theatre, the only
cinema hall of Kurseong could reopen soon, much to the glee
of the locals.
No one can recollect which year the theatre was constructed
but according to the old timers of this hill town, the facility
was built during the era of silent movies. The edifice which
once buzzed with activity now stands an empty and desolate
structure, almost waiting to be razed.
According to Plaza Theatre’s former manager Mr Jeevan
Lama, the first stint of shutdown came during the Gorkhaland
movement in the late 80s. “Although the theatre reopened
after the agitation, it had suffered serious technical damages
due to the prolonged closure, which started to tell on the
daily shows forcing the theatre to continue haltingly. Problems
between the workers’ union and the theatre management
thereafter drove the final nail and the cinema continues to
remain under lock and key,” the former manager, said.
The management also has its story to tell. Due to the hiccups,
running the theatre became non-viable. Although the management
tried to continue despite tight financial conditions, the
loss kept mounting forcing the management to think twice.
The theatre, it was learnt, reopened only to close down again
at least 20 times between 1986 and 2001.
According to the former manager Mr Lama, there was a period
when the management experimented to run the hall by projecting
shows through DVD system. “But on learning that it was
illegal, they stopped the system,” he added.
Meanwhile, the 14 staff members of the cinema has come down
to seven. The closure of the hall is also having its effect
on shops nearby. The once thriving business area now wears
a deserted look. “The closure of the hall has also thrown
us out of business,” rued a local shopkeeper.
The Chalchitra Kala Pratishthan, Kurseong, president, Mr Binod
Sharma said that due to lack of a cinema hall, talented boys
and girls from the hills are not getting the required exposure.
He also demanded cancellation of the cinema’s license
if the current management fails to run the show.
Talking to The Statesman, the current owner of Plaza Theatre,
Mr Anand
Prakash, said that the management intended to reopen the theatre
soon, “if possible in a year’s time.”
Kurseong is a tourism spot but the hill town suffers from
lack of entertainment arenas. The general belief is that the
reopening of the cinema would go a long way to solve that
problem.
Courtesy: The Statesman |
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