Bindabasini Cinema hall closed for six years

By Our Correspondent,Pokhara, Sept. 15: Bindabasini Cinema Hall, Pokhara’s old cinema hall, has been closed for the past six years. According to the hall operator, it was shut down after the film hall incurred a loss.

Hall operator Uttam Dwa said that the decline in audience numbers and the lack of new film releases forced the hall to close.

“The hall was closed because, along with a decline in film quality, audience numbers also dropped. The film business could not even cover the operating costs of the hall,” he added.

This hall used to screen more Nepali films compared to Hindi films. According to him, the hall was closed even before COVID-19.

“Audiences began to be attracted to halls with newer models. They stopped liking the old halls. The hall has been closed for a long time, and no decision has been made on how to revamp it,” he said.

Bindabasini Cinema Hall, which started operations in 1986, used to attract large audiences for Nepali films. Films in the hall would run for 51 to 100 days.

Previously, after films stopped screening in Pokhara, many halls had completely shut down. These include Dipjyoti Cinema Hall, Annapurna Cinema Hall, Mahalaxmi Cinema Hall, Purnima Hall, and Kalpana Cinema Hall.

Currently, in Pokhara, only Shree Krishna and Barahi Cinema Hall operate as single-screen cinemas showing some Nepali and Hindi films, while MidTown Galleria and QFX are two multiplex halls that are also in operation in Pokhara.