Stage shows must go on ... at alternative venues

By Ramesh Mathew/Staff ReporterHaving realised that they will not be able to organise stage shows at the Gulf Cinema complex in the near future owing to its indefinite closure, Asian expatriate groups are looking for venues elsewhere.The alternative venues considered by these organisers include locations in the city’s outskirts. They do not mind going the extra mile, literally, as they feel the advantages of holding shows in far-off locations are many: less traffic congestion, availability of more parking space and venues that can accommodate a large number of people.A number of stage shows involving Indian expatriates are scheduled to be held over the next 40 days. These include a mega event on May 3, which its organisers say will feature more than 200 regular artistes from the Malayalam film industry.The organisers of the mega show featuring the who’s who of the Malayalam film industry have started making elaborate arrangements for the event. On Saturday, they announced that the programme would be held at the privately owned West End Park in Industrial Area, near the Karwa compound. At a joint announcement made with the organisers, the owners of the 14,000-seat complex said the stage show would be the first event to be held there. The complex could easily accommodate more than 4,000 cars at a time.The old Ideal Indian School grounds in Mamoura will host two major programmes between April 26 and May 10. One of the two events is a musical show featuring well-known Bollywood singer Udit Narayan and other singers. Explaining the reason for holding the show at the old Ideal Indian School grounds, Doha Waves chairman Mohamed Thoyyib said Asian expatriates felt comfortable there provided the event was properly organised.“The rents are also affordable for organisers like us. Besides, the place can accommodate 7,000 and 8,000 spectators,” said Thoyyib, who hosted singer Shreya Ghoshal in a successful show at Al Ahli Stadium a few months ago. However, sources said not every organiser can afford to hold shows there.On May 10, another stage show is planned at the old Ideal Indian School grounds. The organisers are expecting the participation of a large number of film personalities from Kerala.Recently, a forum of the country’s Bangladeshi community held a well-attended music and dance show at a venue in Wakrah. A similar gathering was mobilised by a Pakistani forum at the same place at the beginning of the last month. Similarly, programmes conducted by some forums at the Diplomatic Club were attended by a large number of people despite the distance. “The Diplomatic Club is an excellent venue and can accommodate between 1,200 and 1,500 people,” said V Gopinath, an office-bearer of the Indian Cultural Centre, which hosted a couple of shows there.“While there is a general impression that Indian and other Asian expatriate communities are reluctant to move out of Doha for stage shows, the massive participation in some recent events held outside the city points to a different trend,” said a show organiser, who is looking forward to hosting a major show.However, not everybody has similar sentiments. Argon Global Inspirations, a company formed exclusively to host quality music shows, recently hosted Indian ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas at Qatar National Convention Centre.“Though an excellent venue, the response to the event was far from encouraging,” said company CEO Abdul Ghafoor. “It seems a large section of the Asian expatriate community is still hesitant to come out of the city to watch programmes. The distance is a possible deterrent.”Ghafoor added that he was looking to host another ghazal show featuring Udhas at a city venue that had not been tested by any organiser so far.The Gulf Cinema complex had not been allowed to stage any community programmes, including stage shows, since the Villaggio fire in May last year. The country’s safety authorities had ordered the closure of the complex, comprising Gulf Cinema and Doha Cinema, earlier this year.