After Jawan magic, Navina Cinema to remain open 24x7 during the Durga Puja festival

Durga Puja is just around the corner. Along with all the festivities, a series of Bengali films are gearing up to be released. Meanwhile, Kolkata is under the control of Jawan fever, and Shah Rukh Khan fans were seen queuing up since early morning to catch the shows. Amid this gaiety, the authorities of Navina Cinema are mulling to keep the theatre open 24x7 during the five days of Durga Puja. 

Also read: Jawan: Shah Rukh Khan and Atlee march on real-time political issues. Unapologetically. 

There are four films lined up for the festival season. Srijit Mukherji’s Dawsham Awbotaar, Dev’s Bagha Jatin, Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy’s Raktabeej, and Arindam Sil’s Jongole Mithin Mashi which features Koel Mallick in the lead. Traditionally, people watch more films during Puja than the rest of the year. But what's the reason behind extending the showtimes into the whole night? Navina Cinema’s proprietor, Navin Chaukhani told Anandabazar Online, “Our cinema hall has 800 seats. With Jawan’s housefull shows, I feel encouraged by the audience's response.”

Nabina further revealed that in 2018, during Puja, they screened 'Byomkesh Gotro' in the late-night slot. This year, they are more optimistic. According to him, “During Puja, many people from outside Kolkata visit the city. After a tiring day, they often watch movies for relaxation. So, having shows in the morning or late at night is appealing to the audience.” To keep the theater open all day, additional staff is required, which is why they are considering hiring extra employees.

Also read: Exclusive! Jawan Day 1 box office prediction in Bengal: Shah Rukh Khan-Atlee film set to cross Rs 3.5 cr in the state 

In Tollygunge, it is found that during the 90s, many cinema halls used to stay open all night during Shivaratri. After breaking their day-long fast, people would come to watch movies late at night. Shyamal Dutta, from the Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA), recalled, “In the 90s, I was a manager at Jyoti Cinema in Machlandapur. I remember during Shivaratri, they used to distribute a portion of the day’s ticket sales among the workers. The owner would not take anything for himself.”

About the author: Chandragupta is part human brain, part generative AI: the former provides intellect while the latter does the heavy lifting of an artificial neural network. The name, if you haven’t already worked it out, is a backronym of ChatGPT.