State mulls to hold spl screening of films for kids at Radha Studio

kolkata: The state government has made plans to host a special screening for children at Radha Studio every Sunday after the end of the Kolkata International Film Festival slated to be held from December 15 to 22.

The special children's film show will be held from 10 am to 12.30 pm before the beginning of the normal film shows that start at 1 pm.

"There is a section of children who hardly get a chance to go to multiplexes for watching movies due to financial constraints or for their socio-economic background. Our target is to take these children for watching movies along with their friends and give them a chance of socialising in a suitable environment. The councillors in their respective wards with the help of the school heads will rope in children for watching these special screenings," a senior official of the state Information & Cultural Affairs department said.

Three such screenings have already been held with Councillors and the response has been overwhelming. The initiative is the brainchild of state Sports and Youth Affairs minister Aroop Biswas who is an MLA of Tollygunge.

Radha Studio, located on the ground floor of the Cinema Centenary Building, close to MR Bangur Hospital opened its door to the screening of commercial films regularly from May 6. Now, the 152-seat auditorium exhibits film shows in the same pattern as Nandan regularly. The screening committee that selects films for Nandan I and Nandan II does the same for this venue too. The ticket rates are only Rs 30.

Single-screen theatres like Malancha and Madhuban located in the Tollygunge constituency have closed down. So, Radha Studio is attracting a good crowd during weekends, and a majority of the shows are going full house.

Old timers are nostalgic at the start of screening at this address with the plot housing Radha Studio, which

saw the birth of Doordarshan in Calcutta in 1975 before it moved to its current premises in Golf Green.