Renovated Rabindranath Tagore Hall at Paldi too costly for theatre

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has renovated Rabindranath Tagore Hall at Paldi for Rs11 crore and equipped it with latest sound and light systems. However, the art fraternity in the city finds the rates of the auditorium a little on the higher side when compared to private venues.

The civic body has not only improved the sitting arrangements, air-conditioning and interiors, but also installed a 32-channel digital mixer, eight monitors, two side fills, speakers and microphones to make Tagore Hall a state-of-the-art auditorium. However, the rentals of the auditorium have now become a cause of concern for event organisers.

After renovations, a function at Tagore Hall at Paldi costs nearly Rs26,000 per shift. On the other hand, Thakorbhai Desai Hall at Law Garden with a seating capacity of around 750 costs Rs17,000 to Rs18,000 per shift. The rental of Jai Shankar Sundari Hall at Raikhad is about Rs15,000.

“Previously, there was not much difference in the rentals of these three auditoriums. But after renovation of Tagore Hall, the gap has widened by more than 35%,” said Purvi Prakash Jadawala, producer of Gujarati theatre.

Theatre producers believe that though they do not require the quality and range of sound system installed in Tagore Hall, they have to pay the rentals fixed by AMC. As a result, organising a theatrical performance at Tagore Hall becomes a costlier affair for them.

Artistes are also of the opinion that the type of lights and sound system installed at the Tagore Hall lead them to believe that the civic body has taken into consideration the needs of only musical performances and not theatrical performances.

Thakorbhai Desai Hall suits theatrical performances, while Tagore Hall is ideal for a musical performance despite the rentals being on higher side, believes Sandip Raval, who works as a production manager.

Vipul Thakkar, writer-producer-director-actor of Gujarati plays, said that going by the popularity aspect, Thakorbhai Desai Hall is their first choice with Tagore Hall coming next. He added that despite there being an availability problem with Thakorbhai Desai Hall, the higher rental would deter people from opting for Tagore Hall.  

Jadawala also said that the civic body should have offered concessional rates at Tagore Hall as compared to private auditoriums in the city as it has been built with public funds and is not meant for profit.

Bhupendra Patel, chairman of AMC’s standing committee, pointed out that the use of sound system and lights is not compulsory. However, he did not talk about the fact that lights and sound systems from outside are not permissible in the hall, without which no theatrical performance could take place.