Out Of Reach: Ravindra Bhavans new rent shocks Bhopal artists

BHOPAL: The rates fixed by the state government for hiring the new and the old Ravindra Bhavans in the city have come as a shock for the artistes. They say that the new rates are unaffordable for them. They want to know whether the Ravindra Bhavans are meant to promote art and culture or serve as money-spinners for the state government.

The rent for Hansdhwani, the main auditorium of the Ravindra Convention Centre (new Ravindra Bhavan) with a capacity to seat 1,500, for one shift (9 am to 3 pm or 4 pm to 10 pm) will be a Rs 1.14 lakh including the GST and the security deposit. Hiring the Centre for the whole day will cost a whopping Rs 2.15 lakh.

A day's rent for the auditorium in the Old Ravindra Bhavan has been enhanced from Rs 37,000 to Rs 60,000. Including GST and security deposit, it will cost Rs 80,800 per day. The biggest hike has been effected in the rent for Natnarayani Muktakash Manch (Open Air Auditorium of the Old Ravindra Bhavan), which has been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 per day - a 900% hike! Along with GST and security deposit, the hirer would have to spend Rs 69,000 a day for the place. The new rate list was released on Tuesday.

Former MPSD director Alok Chatterjee said that it will make things very difficult for theatre groups. “They won’t be able to afford even one show; let alone two or more,” he said. He said that the state government’s culture department has been adopting a liberal attitude as far as promoting arts and culture is concerned. “Against this backdrop,I find this decision strange,” he said.

Theatre actor and director Preeti Jha Tiwari said that the Bharat Bhavan has already been reserved only for government programmes and the Ravindra Bhavan has become unaffordable. “What are we supposed to do?” she asked. She said that the annual grant of most theatre groups is between Rs 40,000 and Rs 2,50,000. “How will they arrange the money for staging their productions,” she said.

Sitar player Smita Nagdev said that the revision in charges will ensure that only cash-rich organisations would be able to hold their programmes at the Ravindra Bhavan, no matter what their artistic credentials are. “The rates should be reasonable,” she said.

Suresh Tanted, who has been running Abhinav Kala Parishad in the city since 1970, said that the culture department spends exorbitantly on its programmes. “I can hold programmes for the entire year with the department’s budget for a single event,” he said.

Singer Sunil Shukraware said that the Covid-19 pandemic has already ruined the artists. He wanted to know whether the Ravindra Bhavans have been built for promoting art and culture or to serve as a source of income for the government.

Zulfiquar Ali from Zeal Z Entertainment Film Production Company said that the new rates would be affordable to only major film production houses. “As for smaller producers, it will be very difficult for them to pay the amount. Each web series shot in the city gives employment to around 50 locals,” he said.

Theatre actor and director KG Trivedi said that he was ‘shocked’. “Now, we artists will have to develop alternative venues,” he said.

Culture director declines comment: Director of Culture, Aditi Kumar Tripathi, when asked about the new rates of the Ravindra Bhavans declined comment. “No comment,” he told Free Press.