EXCLUSIVE: Tutu Sharma’s Citara expected to open with Pushpa 2; tickets 35-40% cheaper than other multiplexes: “Next year, we’ll try to FURTHER reduce the price”; to also provide Gabbar Singh Burger, Aishwarya Rai massage, Madhuri Dixit haircut…

Producer Tutu Sharma ventures into the exhibition sector as his multiplex chain, Citara, is all set to come up in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The Citara properties would not just comprise an auditorium but would also consist of other entertainment venues, which will make Citara a one-stop entertainment destination.

Bollywood Hungama spoke exclusively with Tutu Sharma and asked about the unusual name. He made it clear that it should be pronounced as ‘Sitara’. He added, “Since it is cinema-centric, we have spelt it as Citara.”

He then explained his thoughts behind starting Citara, “We realized that cinemas are totally dependent on the content. If a big film doesn’t arrive, you suffer. That’s how we decided to have an alternate source of revenue while ensuring that all of them are connected to movies.”

Citara properties will consist of Reels Café, Glam Studios – The Star Struck Salon, CineHaat: Celebrity Retail Shops, Reels Point, Kids Corner etc. Tutu Sharma explained, “The Reels Café has a designated area where you can make reels, called Reels Point. We can put high-grade professional music to your videos and send it to you. It can also work as an audition reel for aspiring singers and actors. It can be forwarded to us; we have a panel of a couple of directors and producers on board.”

He continued, “The Reels Point also has a facility for doing a podcast. We believe that the new talent is coming from tier 2 and 3 cities. You never know the next big influencer can come from that area.”

Talking more about the café, he said, “Our café won’t just serve samosa, popcorn and cola. It’ll have a curated menu, designed by Chef Sanyal. He is trained in Germany. The menu would also be region-specific. So, the theatres in Gujarat would have more Gujarati snacks. The same applies to cinemas in Maharashtra and so on. The menu would also be filmy. The tagline of the Reels Café is – Swad se karenge sabka swagat! It’ll offer dishes like Gabbar Singh Burger, Johny Mera Naam Chai, Mughal-E-Azam coffee etc. And that’s not all. At the Karaoke Centre, you can have an evening of singing songs. During the IPL season, this area will show the matches.”

Tutu Sharma further said, “We even have a filmy salon where the décor would be film-related. It’ll provide services like Aishwarya Rai massage, Madhuri Dixit haircut etc. The highlight of CineHaat is that it’ll sell products of brands owned by actors, not the ones endorsed by them.”

As per the publicity material of Citara, the brands on board are Palmonas by Shraddha Kapoor, Soezi by Sonakshi Sinha, Rheson by Sonam K Ahuja and Rhea Kapoor, Padmasitaa by Padmini Kolhapure, Prowl by Tiger Shroff and The Man Company by Ayushmann Khurrana.

If you thought that’s all, you’re mistaken. Tutu Sharma exulted, “We also have a place for kids which will have film-related images of child stars who became adult actors like Padmini Kolhapure, Rishi Kapoor etc. Parents can safely keep their kids here and watch the film in the audi. We intend that every section should be a highlight by itself. People might come to eat at Reels Café and then they can decide to go for a movie.”

He also confirmed that one can enter the premises even without a movie ticket and added, “Through these measures, we are assured that we will make money even in the absence of a big-ticket film like Pushpa 2. There would also be designated shows for re-releases as well as regional films. For instance, we can show classics on Friday night.”

Cheaper moviegoing experience

Tutu Sharma also claimed that the ticket prices will be cheaper, “Our cinemas will be located in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and we are keeping the prices in check. It’ll probably be cheaper by 35-40% than the heavily priced chains. On National Cinema Day, the tickets were sold for Rs. 99 and every show ran with 100% occupancy. It vindicates the point that I have been saying for a long time that it’s the ticket cost that matters the most. Nowadays, thanks to expensive ticket rates, we need to plan to watch a movie. The basic habit of going to the cinema is curtailed. With Citara, we plan to bring back this habit. You won’t have to think that you need to pick and choose the film as the outing won’t cost you Rs. 3000.”

What about the food and beverages? Tutu replied, “That would also be priced reasonably. We are focusing on higher sales and not higher prices. We want to get more numbers and make profit on the turnover and not by killing your customer.”

Recently, Mukta A2 cinemas made the astonishing announcement that the price of snacks in their cinemas won’t exceed Rs. 99. Tutu Sharma assured that even in Citara, the same price strategy would be followed.

Often, new cinemas offer tickets at cheap prices and then inflate the rates. When asked if the ticket rates would remain low even a year later, Tutu Sharma smiled and stated, “We’ll talk again next year at the same time and the rates will be the same. In fact, we’ll try to further reduce the price!”

Inauguration plans

The big question of course is when do these Citara theatre start operations? He replied, “We have around 16 screens at various stages. In some cinemas, trial runs have started while in some places, we are awaiting licenses. But all of them are totally ready. Hopefully, by Pushpa 2, it’ll be up and running.” The much-awaited film releases worldwide on December 5.

These cinema halls are in Ambajogai in Maharashtra (3 screens), Jamkhambalia in Gujarat (2 screens), Nadaon in Bihar (2 screens) and 1 screen each in Jwalaji in Himachal Pradesh, Ghumarvin in Himachal Pradesh, Baramulla in Kashmir, Handwara in Kashmir, Pulwama in Kashmir, Shopian in Kashmir and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Before signing off, Tutu Sharma explained why he doesn’t plan to start a property in Mumbai, “We don’t want to focus on Mumbai as real estate here is very expensive. Also, it’ll be hypocritical on my part if I charge tickets for Rs. 350 because of this factor.”

Also Read: Producer Tutu Sharma’s Citara Entertainment to launch affordable multiplex chains targeting Tier-II & Tier-III cities: Report