Ya it was a grand opening ceremony... It was quite exciting as Mr. Big B himself had come to inaugurate this place. I remembered the time we saw this ad in Bombay Times that this new cinema hall is opening and the booking timing are 10 AM to 10 PM (gosshhh unbelievable, then). So we decided to go there and check out this place. We had dropped at 9 pm at the venue to get the ticket. And from this time onwards the experience began.
What we call Mis-Management can be very well explained with the example of FAME. These are not just words these are personal painful bunch of experience. Sob, Sob, Sob….
For the first 10 days from the day of opening I don’t know that anybody could get the ticket. I personally had gone there thrice after that but all that use to happen that one or the other representative would come and explain to the crowd that SORRY TICKET NAHIN MIL SAKTA, COMPUTER MEIN PROBLEM HAI, etc, etc. We also went upto the extent of going and fighting with the Manager Mr. Mukesh Gupta (if I am not mistaken) that why are they advertising in the newspaper that tickets are available when there systems are not up. Not everyone who was coming to get the ticket is from the Lokhandwala Complex so that he can go home and sleep. I mean people were taking so much of effort and these people are least bothered. No matter what happens they are ready with a SORRY Note. Then Mr. Gupta had asked us to leave our telephone number and address in the register and assured us that the tickets will be booked and will be sent through courier and we will be conveyed that over phone. That was a promise made by him. Hhhh, that personal invitation is yet to come……hmmm I hope they remember this. But the bottomline here was that they could do the publicity well and generated a good amount of curiosity about the place. That’s the reason I was in the ticket queue after two weeks of that episode. You know really wanted to see how that place is different than others.
At last, I got the ticket. Now here began the subsequent rounds of torture. (I really wondered then what do they mean when the say Customer Service) You go up to the auditorium in the elevator and come down after the movie through the cramped stair-case or the deserted shopping mall where each shop-keeper looks like a ‘feriwalla’ only thing he cant shout aloud.
About the eating option available there……the list is as below.
The best place to eat is Caffe Coffee Day at the ground floor. But you cant have anything there coz there are no place to sit and its damn hot. So eliminate this option.
At the auditorium, you have lots of option but priced as if they have to get these foods from different planet. (Pop-corn Rs.40.00 and same is the case with other options too.) They had stock of Aquafina (500 ml and 1 Ltr.) first and that was an affordable item then. But now they have done away with that too, you get a bottle of some Himalaya Water (750 ml for Rs.25.00). Husssssssshhhhhhhh….
There are other options of eating outlet at the entrance of theatre but not sure of the hygiene factor but priced on the higher side. (Wonder all this is especially done and created keeping in mind the LOKHANDWALA crowed or what…..i mean are they too rich or too foolish that they cant see whats going on)
Now to add to this, they have started a new pricing poicy for tickets too…(as if the rest were not enough)
Pricing for two shows to same movie not same. Pricing of two movies same show not same.
The latest release of Shahrukh costing blooming Rs.150.00 and Rs.175.00 for 1st & 2nd show and Rs.200 for the 3rd show…..what logic.
They are not letting any opportunity of earning money no matter what service they are providing.
So the ticket, food, parking, etc puts a big phatka on your pocket and the manner-less, idiotic staff kills your patience, now what left to enjoy the movie. But you know, I still go to that place, to see when they will come out of this and provide for a real service. But the problem with them is that each time they end up doing new blunder.
One thing I really liked about them and which so far not creating any problem (since the beginning) is there net-booking of tickets…..I wish they could really systemise themselves better in terms of costing and quality. I mean, it will be a pleasant experience then to visit FAME.