By Renuka Dhakal
Kathmandu, Feb. 20: Building of the Gopi Krishna Cinema Hall in Chabahil, Kathmandu, is being demolished to make way for the construction of newer modern one.
The hall is one of the most popular halls in the Kathmandu Valley and moviegoers and filmmakers have had a deep connection with it for a
long time.
Whether it was the weekend or weekday, morning or afternoon, the cinema was always packed with movie-goers eager to watch the latest release. People of all economic status used to crowd the theatre every day. Indeed, there was once a time when the name Gopi Krishna was synonyms with movie theatres in the minds of Nepalis.
However, with the advent of more multiplexes, home videos and online streaming, older halls like Gopi Krishna, Radha and Mira, which had the highest seating capacities, were
wiped out.
The operator of Gopi Krishna Mubhij has now torn down the hall and plans to build a complex, said Pradeep Dahal, manager of the hall. Even if Gopi
Krishna, Radha and Mira halls are razed, Om, Namha and Shivaya will come into operation with new technology, he added. These three halls are being operated to keep the audience connected with the legacy of
the hall.
Dahal informed that the initial plan was to construct 25-storey building. “But, now we are going to construct a new complex as per the criteria set by the municipality,” he said.
“The new complex will be ready in three years and have shopping malls, multiplex halls, hotels, swimming pools, casinos and other structures,” shared Dahal.
“The cinema sector, which has been devastated by the coronavirus, will take time to recover. So, we started constructing the new complex at this time,” he said.