MARGAO: Buoyed by the increasing film shows being held in its premises, the Margao Ravindra Bhavan is now in the process of purchasing a new projector to replace the old one that has collapsed and has not been working for the last nearly one and a half year.
Ravindra Bhavan had purchased a projector with the brand name Christie which along with Barco are the two projectors being used for screening films all over. However, the Ravindra Bhavan projector stopped working and officials of the only dealer of the company came down from Mumbai.
They suggested that one part had to be replaced, for which Rs 2.5 lakh had to be paid in advance as it was to be imported from USA. Accordingly, Ravindra Bhawan paid the amount and the part was brought but the projector would not work even after that.
“The technicians then suggested that another part costing Rs 1.5 lakh be replaced but I put my foot down and demanded a written guarantee that the project would work after replacing this part as otherwise it would result in we simply wasting our money,” said Prashant Naik Chairman of Ravindra Bhavan.
Presently films are being screened at Ravindra Bhawan but the person concerned has to hire the projector. “We have had around 50 to 70 films screened here since I took over and this year we expect there to be more screenings,” Prashant said.
Pointing out that even Ravindra Bhavan hired a projector for the two day “Reels on Wheels” festival they had, he said that film screenings are expected to increase at Ravindra Bhawan as it helps by way of increased revenue.
“While our seating capacity is 1080 to be exact, in a cinema hall at the most you can get 250 people hence with one show you can have a bigger crowd and earn more money at Ravindra Bhavan,” he said. Special cameras are needed for screening at Ravindra Bhawan because the hall is long and cameras of certain lumens are required to cover the distance.
He said they were presently discussing about purchasing a new projector that could be self sufficient too. “If at present people can hire the projector for Rs 7000 per show, we may as well rent out our’s for Rs 5000 per show,” he said arguing that it would be a win-win for Ravindra Bhavan as well as the person organizing the screening.
The cost of the cameras has also come down at present and Ravindra Bhavan has received quotation from both Christie and Barco and the projector is expected to cost around Rs 40 lakh.
