Navarang cinema theatre in Vijayawada reels under traffic woes

Navarang, once a popular cinema theatre in Vijayawada, is facing a drop in footfall due to encroachment and haphazard parking.

Parked two-wheelers and cycles, tens of mechanic shops, hanging electrical wires, a number of squatted hawkers selling perfumes and sundries--these are the objects that crowd our sight when we first enter the narrow road, where Navarang, once known for being the exclusive English cinema theatre in Vijayawada, is located.  

Since the time it was opened in 1964, Navarang has been the go-to theatre for many movie-lovers. But, because of the encroachment by vendors and haphazard parking of vehicles on the narrow road, the theatre has seen a drop in the footfall in recent years.  

“There has been a 40% drop in the footfall,” R.V. Bhupal Prasad, proprietor of the single-screen theatre, said, because families having four-wheelers find it difficult to reach the main gate. As it is, the road is narrow, of around 60 feet, and parked vehicles occupy half of it.  

Until Urvasi Theatre was opened in 1970, Navarang used to be the theatre in the city that used to be the destination for English movies. “All our 607 seats used to be full in those days. We screened almost all the James Bond movies, the first being Hatari. Later, we screened Hindi movies too. Sholay, a Ramesh Sippy directorial released in 1975, was screened at this theatre for 27 weeks continuously,” Mr. Bhupal Prasad recalls.  

Today, the theatre of yesteryears is seeing a reduction in collections because of poor management of the traffic. “Despite several multiplexes coming up, people love to come here since they have a lot of memories associated wiht it. But, for them, the sight of a crammed road sticks out as a sore thumb. Even squeezing in a two-wheeler in the lane becomes difficult after 5 p.m.,” said Mr. Bhupal Prasad, adding that he tried to bring the issue to the notice of the traffic police many a time.  

“The traffic police have helped us in the past. But the vendors come back every time after the police leave,” Mr. Bhupal Prasad said.

Taxpayers’ Association secretary M.V. Anjaneyulu said the problem of indiscriminate parking can be seen across the city, and that the authorities have to take steps to ensure that the road is not occupied by vehicles.