Cinepolis' takes Mangalore by surprise

After allegations of lobbying for the launch of the multiplex, ex-Deputy Commissioner N S Channappa Gowda had rejected the application for its license two months ago, citing that clearance from the Fire and Emergency Service Department (FESD) had not been obtained.

Mr Gowda had denied authorisation to the multiplex in September after having received a strict warning from the Regional Commissioner (in Mysore) against lobbying for the multiplex.

However, on his final day as DC of Dakshina Kannada, Mr Gowda granted the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Cinepolis. According to him, the Fire NOC had not been granted to the entire building previously, which had caused the district administration to deny permission/license to the multiplex. He said that the permission was granted once the building authorities obtained the fire NOC to the entire building.

The mall's marketing manager Sunil K S told 'Coastaldigest.com' that as instructed by the fire department, a minor project was undertaken on the seventh floor in which an extension of the road had been constructed, as to make way for fire and emergency services in case of emergencies. “Thereafter, we received notification that the NOC had been granted to the multiplex and it was opened today,” he said.

However, there was “something fishy”, according to Vidya Dinker of Citizen Forum, who had earlier objected to Mr Gowda's alleged lobbying. “Since the DC agreed to grant the certificate on the last day of being in-charge, it certainly looks like he was kept back (as DC of Dakshina Kannada) just to file his NOC. We don't think the government officials can play with the safety of the citizens. Over a period of five years from 2007 till now, nothing has changed so far in the structure, which the fire department had termed as 'unworthy'. So what has prompted them to suddenly hand over the No Objection Certificate? We will take up the matter with the Lokayukta Police, and the DC as well as the DGP will be accountable and answerable. We don't want another Upahaar-like tragedy in Mangalore,” she told 'Coastaldigest.com'.

Cinepolis is the first five-screen digital multiplex in Mangalore, which has a seating capacity of 1200, together with Real D, the world's best 3D technology, Hollywood standard 2k digital screens and 7.1 Dolby digital audio. After Bangalore, this is the second Cinepolis multiplex in Karnataka.

Currently four screens of Cinepolis are open to the public, while the fifth VIP screen is expected to open soon.

Business Head of Exhibition at Cinépolis Ashish Shukla said, “After an overwhelming response to our international product quality in Bengaluru, we are extremely happy to introduce the same at Mangalore. Along with a truly international movie watching experience through audio and video, the multiplex will offer an indulging experience at our VIP Cinemas. Another added attraction at Cinepolis is 'Coffee tree', an in-house coffee shop which will feature a wide range of freshly prepared gourmet food and beverages.”

“For the first few weeks, we invite all cinema lovers in Mangalore and neighboring towns of Manipal, Udipi and Kasargod to try out the unique Cinepolis experience with our special introductory prices starting at Rs.80 for normal seats and Rs.130 for VIP seats,” informed Head of Strategy at Cinépolis India Devang Sampat.

Cinépolis currently operates at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Patna, Surat, Ludhiana, and Bhopal. Starting in 2012 with 32 screens, Cinépolis has added 17 more screens until now, making it one of the fastest growing multiplex chains in the country. With the addition of Cinépolis Mangalore, it now stands at a total of 49 screens across all four geographic zones.