MARGAO
Margao’s oldest and perhaps one of Goa’s oldest cinema theatres, Cine Lata, will no longer screen films. Instead, Cine Lata, which once catered to the entertainment needs of Madgavkars in particular and Saxttikars in general, will now play host to banquets in the commercial capital.
The changeover in business by the House of Zantyes officially took place on Friday when a spacious 400-capacity banquet hall, styled as Z Square Banquet Halls, was inaugurated in the very premises, which once screened films over the decades.
Like many cinema theatres shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Central government, Cine Lata too was closed during 2019-20.
Tucked away in the corner of the road behind the Margao Municipal building, the single-screen Cine Lata, however, never re-opened, with the Zantye family venturing into the business of a chain of banquet halls in its erstwhile cinema theatres.
Former Minister Harish Zantye’s son Pravin admitted that Cine Lata was Margao’s and the state’s oldest single-screen theatre. He recalled that the Mavany family controlled the cinema business in the state before the Zantye family, comprising his father Harish and uncles, ventured into the business by setting up the first cinema theatre by converting the family godown at Bicholim. “Of the four theatres in Margao, the Zantyes controlled all, including Metropole, Vishant, and Cine Lata, except Blue Pearl. Besides, we were running theatres across the state,” he said.
He added: “The COVID-19 pandemic saw the shutdown of cinema theatres across the country between 2019-20. Other than the multiplexes, the single-screen theatres did not open due to the prevailing circumstances, forcing the Zantye family to weigh other business options, before converting some of the cinema halls into banquet halls.”
After inaugurating the banquet hall, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat recalled the fond childhood memories of Cine Lata, where he had watched his first film. “During the Dindi festival, we used to watch films at Cine Lata before going to receive the Palki of the deity early in the morning,” he said.
Complimenting the Zantye family for diversifying into the banquet hall business, Kamat said the Zantyes have kept pace with the changing times in the field of business. “During the COVID pandemic, the concept of cinema theatres had completely changed. I appreciate the bold decision taken by the Zantye family to enter the banquet hall business. The banquet hall in Margao will provide a facility to Madgavkars to host their functions and programmes. Pravin Zantye has created a conducive environment at the structure, which was once known as Cine Lata,” he said.
Pravin later told the media that there’s not much difference in respect of the capacity between Cine Lata and the banquet hall. “The banquet hall has a 400-capacity, while Cine Lata had a capacity to accommodate around 370 people. As far as parking is concerned, the MMC has proposed a multi-level parking lot at the adjoining old fish market area,” he said, when asked for his comments on the parking provision.
