“Iffi Will Become Bigger And Bigger In Size And Stature In The Next 50 Years And Beat Even Cannes” Siddharth Jain, Director, Inox, India

Siddharth Jain, the young and dynamic Director of INOX chain of multiplexes in India is keen on expanding the INOX multiplex chain in Panji in Goa by adding to it more screens so that a large number of films can be screened in IFFI In future. In this exclusive interview, Siddharth Jain tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that Goa should be the permanent venue to host film festivals in India

How did INOX bag the contract to be the main venue to showcase films which are being screened in IFFI in Goa?

It was the year 2002 when the multiplexes were a brand new trend in India. INOX had already set up a multiplex property in Pune and the government of Goa wanted us to upgrade the IFFI by setting up a multiplex to show case the films with select technology in the land owned by them at Panji and we stepped in  with this four screen multiplex by selecting the iconic design. We are very excited that for the past 15 years right from the time the festival started in Goa, we have been hosting the IFFI on a regular basis without any hiccup.

In what way was the IFFI which concluded a few days back in Goa different from the earlier IFFIs?

Firstly, it was the 50^th edition and the Golden Jubilee of IFFI and the number of not only the delegates but also the films that were screened was more. We at INOX added a three screen property at Poverim to show a large number of films in Goa as part of the golden jubilee.

Didn’t it strike you to expand the property at Panji by adding the number of screens at INOX, Panji to mark the golden jubilee of IFFI?

We at INOX would love to expand the property at Panji by adding if not triple the size now, at least by double its size. It is a good suggestion from bollyy.com and we would certainly take up the suggestion with the government so that by next year, we will be able to show more films at the main festival complex at Panji itself by expanding INOX here.

In what way do you think INOX is the best choice to host the IFFI in Panji in Goa?

INOX prides itself with the exemplary service that it offers to the patrons year after year. We have stared new technology and we have launched a new cinema with maximum number of formats under one roof in Malad in Mumbai. The material that we use and the leather and the upholstery are par excellence.

Go on!

Right from the age of 2 to 92, we at INOX cater to patrons of different age groups and we feel that it is our duty to give our patrons the kind of atmosphere in which they can enjoy themselves. We believe in combining luxury with service and technology. The Food & Beverage outlet is different from what we used to have in the past. IFFI is next only to Cannes as of now but I sincerely hope and trust that though IFFI has completed its 50^th year this year, it will become bigger and bigger in size and stature in the next 50 years and beat even Cannes.

There is a complaint from the media that though the festival earlier focused on films which were showcased now there is a shift towards focusing on stars and celebrities!

Is it true that INOX makes more money with its F&B outlets than by selling tickets?

It is a misnomer that INOX or for that matter any other multiplex in India is making more money by selling food items in its property. Do you know that though India is known as a country where people like to watch films and eat food, the fact is that only one in four persons  buy food stuff at theaters when they come to watch a film?

There was time when we used to sit in aisles and enjoy watching films when we used to attend the festivals but now after the introduction of ticketing system, there is a lot of chaos and the security confiscates not only food but also water when a patron enters a multiplex. Hasn’t the Supreme Court asked the multiplexes not to?

Currently the matter is in Supreme Court. Till it issues a decree, we are not in a position to allow food or water when one enters a theatre.

Is it true that the focus currently is more on the celebrities than the films in IFFI in Goa?

Without stars and celebrities, can a film festival exist? The audience gets to interact with the filmmakers and the artistes in a festival. That ethos continues in Goa. This year there were stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikant as well as 196 films that were showcased at the IFFI in Goa.

The IFFI used to be a rotating festival earlier with the venue of the non competitive Filmotsav differing every year and only New Delhi being the venue, every alternate year at the Vigyan Bhavan or Siri Fort. Do you think the festival venue should be rotated every year?

I’d say neither New Delhi nor Goa should be the permanent venue to host the venue but India by itself. If Goa government has invested in the festival for the last 15 years, it deserves to be hosted by the Goa government in future too, especially since the government in tandem with the Entertainment Society of Goa and INOX has built such good infrastructure to host the film festival every year.

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