Multiplex woes ruin the fun

Movies may be the average Hyderabadi’s favourite pastime. But multiplexes in the city leave a lot to be desired. If the rude officials at Inox leave you fuming, the parking woes at Cinemax drive you up the wall. There’s no relief at Prasads or PVR either, where you often come back to a damaged car, thanks to the crammed parking lots. Ask the security guards,and they seem clueless.
Nothing can ruin a movie experience like rude staffers who bark at you if you don’t massage their egos, says Nikita Vora who was denied tickets at Inox recently. “The staff insisted that they sold only one ticket per head, so 11 of us had to wait in queue. They sold tickets to 10 of my friends before deciding I was not part of the group and was only trying to get an “extra” ticket. When I protested, he said I must learn to behave like a “lady” first,” says a fuming Nikita. The Inox management however, gets defensive. They one-ticket-per-head policy was introduced only due to the huge demand, they say. “There were more than 3,000 people thronging our box office for tickets. We just wanted to ensure that the tickets don’t get sold out too soon or be sold in black,” says Penchal Reddy, general manager, Inox, Hyderabad. “Our staff is never rude,” he insists.
Vijander Reddy, president of the A.P. Film Exhibitor’s Association however admits that many multiplexes are resorting to this strategy in a bid to increase their profits. “It looks like theatres want to enhance their internet bookings, so they get an extra commission of Rs 25-30 per booking,” he adds.
Ticket hassles aren’t all. Parking grouses continue to dog movie goers at every multiplex. Swaroop Kumar a movie buff, says, “Cinemax doesn’t have a proper parking facility, so in a bid to make up for it, they offer a valet service. Patrons are forced to wait for over half-an-hour since the cars are parked in an open ground far away from the theatre.” A spokesperson from Cinemax said, “The building owners are looking into this issue and may consider building an additional parking space.”
The lucky ones who do get a parking space end up paying more for the parking than the movie itself. Rahul K., a student exclaims, “On my recent trip to Inox, I ended up paying over Rs 100 towards parking. Big Cinema is no better. the government should regularise this.”