The film buffs at Fort Kochi will have to wait longer to enjoy a flick in the cosiness of a multiplex. For, the Kochi Corporation has not yet taken a single step to officially takeover or renovate the Kokers Theatre owned by it but leased out to producer Siyad Koker.
Earlier, Mayor Tony Chammany had promised to take over and renovate the theatre with the support of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation but had failed to do so.
It is alleged that the Corporation has certain vested interest in
taking over the theatre though the lease period ended in 2008.
Kokers was managed by Siyad Koker, former president of Kerala Film Producers Association. The theatre was initially leased for 30 years and the lease period ended in 1995. The Corporation then renewed the lease till 2008.
However, the Corporation failed to takeover the theatre from the former owing to ‘political pressure’.Meanwhile, the local body had alleged that Siyad Koker has failed to maintain the building.
The theatre, that comes under the Corporation limit, is running in a dilapidated condition with no proper seating, unscientific screening system, unhygienic toilets and unclean premises. “The state of the theatre is bad. I had to watch the visually-enticing movie ‘Life of Pi’ in 50 mm screen due to some technical problem,” said Roshan Mohammed, a resident of Fort Kochi, and a short film maker.The sentiments is echoed by other film aficionados. “The price of the ticket is less compared to other theatre but we have to sit through the stale and
heat inside the theatre. It is better to renovate the theatre or close it down,” said Anupama, a movie lover, who usually visit to the theatre.Lijin, director of films ‘Friday’ and ‘Law point’, said these types of theatres running in the state puts all the efforts of the filmmakers in vain.
“The theatres should maintain some basic amenities such as sound, visual quality and a theatre atmosphere. If they failed to keep up the standard, they should be included in to the black list,” he added.