Nepal’s QFX cinema needs a happy ending

The last movie screened at the QFX Cinemas in Kathmandu on 17 March before the Covid-19 crisis was the Hollywood thriller Bloodshot starring Vin Diesel. Multiplexes have been empty since, pushing Nepal’s biggest theatre chain to the verge of bankruptcy.

When real life starts to resemble reel life as depicted in movies like the 2011 thriller Contagion, there are also doubts about whether cinema can serve as a form of escapism.

For Nakim Uddin and his team at QFX Cinemas, the pandemic has turned a thriving business into a horror show much more frightening than any movie script. In the last two decades since QFX was established, the chain of multiplexes introduced unheard of comfort to Nepal’s cinema-goers.

After revamping Jai Nepal and Kumari hall in 2000, QFX dominated the entertainment scene, expanding rapidly in Kathmandu Valley and across the country.  For a time it looked like nothing could stop Nakim and his partners, until the pandemic happened.

“Earthquakes, bandhs, we had overcome all conceivable risks, but shutting down the entire business for such a prolonged period was something we could have never imagined,” says Nakim, founder of Team Quest and QFX Cinemas.

Economic cost of 5 months of Nepal lockdown, Ramesh Kumar

After taking over and refurbishing Jai Nepal and Kumari cinemas in 2000, QFX Cinemas transformed the theatre scene in Kathmandu, and the group now has franchises in 12 shopping malls in Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur, Biratnagar and Butwal.  

Today, the popular QFX multiplex at Labim Mall in Patan looks like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. The box office is deserted, the once-packed foyer is empty except for a security guard, the poster screens are covered up, the popcorn machine at the refreshment counter is covered in a sheet.

Successful quest, Rubeena Mahato

While the government eased the lockdown this month by resuming flights, travel, hotels, restaurants, and will soon allow trekking, QFX is waiting for approval for its proposal for limited opening of cinemas before Dasain.

“Even if the government gives us a green signal, it is next to impossible for us to get back in our feet right away. It will take time for the audience to regain the confidence to go see a movie in a cinema hall,” Nakim admits. “We have had zero revenue since March and in our country there is no law for bankruptcy. So I think we will be in trouble if we don’t get back to business soon.”  

Nakim thought the lockdown would last a few months, but has had to revamp his entire business model. Most of the halls have three Audi screens with 180 seats for the audience, and he is considering reopening with just 60-70 seats.

Nepal prepares for economic fallout of pandemic, Kaustubh Dhital

Roshan Adiga, CEO of QFX Cinemas has been crunching the numbers to see if that is worthwhile. Through the Motion Pictures Association of Nepal, the company has submitted a proposal with protocols to the government for resumption of screenings.

The procedures would abide by WHO guidelines, with all seats, passages, refreshment area, foyer and toilets disinfected after every screening. Viewers would sit at least three seats apart, with entry and exits controlled so there is minimum intermingling. 

Nakim himself is a movie buff, and admits that the cinematic experience will be different. However, he adds: “I am tired of binge-watching series and movies at home, nothing can beat the charm of a big silver screen in a theatre. It feels surreal thinking about it now.”  

Despite everything, Nakim and Adiga are optimistic about the future despite the Covid-19 crisis, and the challenge from movie streaming services. Both cinema owners and their cinema goers are waiting for a happy ending.

Ways Nepal can rebound from COVID-19, Bikash Pandey and Praveen Baidya

• Few Safety Protocols for Reopening Cinemas  

* Masks mandatory at all times
* Queues along floor markings
* Maintain 1m distance, no crowds

* Customers pay digitally with touchless transactions, or bring exact change  

* Only couples, families allowed to sit together
* Theatres disinfected after each show