Himalayan News Service

Chitwan, April 18:

Cinema business in Chitwan has been hit hard by a current surge in insurgency. Earlier, cinema halls used to do business worth around Rs 130 million annually, which has dipped to a meagre Rs 0.5 million today. GIJJ Combine, a committee representing four cinema halls of the district, has been working for smooth management of the halls. Uday Kumar Shrestha, vice-chairman of the organisation, said that violence and insurgency has created havoc for cinema business since Mangsir, 2058 BS. He added that the fiscal year 2055-56 was the best year for this business, when business worth Rs 130 million was done. 'The year 2059-60 has been the worst when business worth only Rs 0.5 million was done,' he added. Shrestha is also the first vice-chairman of the Narayangarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Cinema halls, which used to show three shows a day, stopped the evening show after Mangsir 10, 2058 BS. Out of the 10 cinema halls in the district, two have already closed down.

GIJJ Combine committee was formed to show films in Ganesh Cinema Hall, Indra Dev Cinema Hall, Jun Cinema Hall and Jalma Cinema Hall, after the initial shows at the four halls.

This committee has been managing the halls by closing down each of them for 10 months annually. Prakash Chuke, manager of the Ganesh Cinema Hall, said that the current insurgency is the main reason behind the closure of halls for the last 10 months. If a solution is not found soon, two halls out of the four would also close down, disclosed Uday Shrestha.