Cinemas stop screening the 1981 cult classic after near-empty shows By Sneha May Francis Published Monday, April 08, 2013 Just days after re-releasing the 1981 Hindi classic ‘Chashme Buddoor’ in theatres, movie showcasers and local distributors in the UAE have had to strike out the show timings due to lack of any takers. The movie released on Thursday, the same day as its remake ‘Chashme Baddoor’. According to the local movie showcasers, the shows for the 1981-original have been replaced by the remake due to its inability to draw in crowds.

The news has, however, irked fans of the Deepti Naval-Farooq Sheikh-starrer rom-com. “This is not done. It’s a classic. And, we all want to go and watch it,” says Manju, a Tecom resident. “It’s unfair. At least, they should give the original its due. No point announcing its re-release and never actually showing it. How can they replace the remake with the original. That’s just not done.” When Emirates 24|7 contacted the Grand Cinemas, their official confirmed that none of their cinemas will be showcasing the old film. “We will only play the new ‘Chashme Baddoor’,” she informed. She, however, did not know the reason for the change in plans and directed us to the movie distributer –Al Nisr.

They, in turn, notified that the decision to pull-out the old movie was purely a business decision. “There was no collection,” reported an official. According to him, the movie played only for two days and was then taken off. Dubai, however, had welcomed the starcasts of both the movies, with special screenings for both. When Emirates 24|7 contacted the Indian distributors for ‘Chashme Buddoor’ the situation was hugely different. “I don’t know about Dubai, but in India the old movie is running to packed houses. In fact, both the movies – the old and the remake – are doing really well,” an official informed.