About a decade ago, cinema houses in Nepal had bad reputation of being a rowdy and an unsafe place. Many people used to avoid going to movies then due to the lack of quality cinema houses where entire families could entertain themselves. [break]
But things have improved today. There are two players - Quest Entertainment ant NLIC City Center -- that have been addressing this void. The former, which has been in the business since 2002, owns Jai Nepal and Kumari cinema halls, while the latter owns Big Cinema at Kamalpokhari. All of these theaters are concentrated in one part of the Kathmandu valley, and yet this has not dampened the demand.
These cinema houses offer clean and ambient environment, comfortable seats, digital sound and a range of food choices at a relatively higher price. Quest has recently introduced 3D system in Kumari cinema.
Kumari has two halls, while Big Cinema is a multiplex with three halls, offering movie-goers more choice. Multiple theaters also offer cinema houses an option of using a movie for a longer time.
"It took about one and a half years for people to adjust to us charging Rs 175 for a balcony ticket in Jai Nepal, compared to the regular Rs 50 charged by other halls," said Nakim Uddin, chairperson of Quest Entertainment.
Today, tickets in these halls range from Rs 75 to Rs 300.
The purchasing power of the middle and upper middle class population is increasing and their lifestyle is also changing. "Earlier, people did not go for 6-9 shows. Today, the demand for late shows is increasing because of people´s busy lifestyle," said Rajendra Aryal of Big Cinema. "Even during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season when very few Bollywood movies are released, Big Cinema had 80-85% occupancy on Fridays and Saturdays and around 40-45% on weekdays."
Big Cinema was launched two months ago with the screening of ´My Name is Khan´.
Buoyed by the success and to cater to increasing demands, Quest is set on expanding in other locations. Bishwojyoti located at prime location in Jamal is renovating and a few other investors are also building a new upscale cinema hall in the capital.
"We have realized that commuting is a big problem for movie watchers. We want to facilitate them," Uddin said.
The demand for quality cinema is also being felt in other urban areas, which are yet to be tapped. However, the threat of some political forces set on denouncing non-Nepali cinema has held back investors from cashing on this demand.
At a time when technology has advanced in such a way that you can download movies through the internet, albeit illegally, such threats cannot bear fruit. All in all, this sector shows a lot potential and the first mover will have the advantage.
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