Generators ensure that the show goes on

PUNE: Daily power cuts have further burdened single screen theatres across the city which are already facing stiff competition from swanky multiplexes.
At Neelayam theatre near Parvati, a generator installed 20 years ago, has been helping film screenings. asWe are facing three hours of daily power cuts. We use a huge diesel-powered generator to ensure that screenings do not get interrupted,a? says manager Sagar Karande.
asSo far, we had been buying 100 to 150 litres of diesel which was used over three to four months. By this month-end we will be taking stock of the fuel consumption at the theatre. We are going to have to buy more diesel as the number of hours for power cut may increase as the days go by,a? Karande says.
Vijay Cinema on Laxmi Road has been experiencing load shedding from 9 am to 10.45 am and between 4 pm and 5.45 pm daily. A generator that was fitted in the theatre premises two years ago has been the saving grace.
asIn order to avoid inconvenience due to constant power outages, we acquired a second power supply line. But, for the past two-three years, power failures have been affecting both the lines. Weave spoken with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, but in vain,a? said a source from the cinema.
Like most single screen theatres in the city, there is no alternative plan to cope with power cuts at Alka talkies near Lakdi Pul. Two generators of 20 KV and 40 KV, installed 12 years ago have been serving during load shedding.
These days, the duration of power failure is long. But, there are no alternative plans to manage this, as, we have to focus on the main days of new releases - Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for maximum business. The two generators have been holding us in good stead all along,a? says manager, B V Joglekar. But using generators also means additional expense other than fuel. asEvery three months, we have to pay electricity duty of 20 paise per unit to the state government,a? Joglekar adds.
Westend, another single screen theatre in the city, has been surviving on a lone generator for the past 10-odd years. asThe air-conditioning inside the movie hall shuts down during power outages, but fortunately the audience bear with it. Presently, there is no other way to deal with power cuts, than using a generator,a? says a source from the theatre.