National 11 (Spotlight Weekly)

Consumer's Choice

Technology and market forces activate audiences at home and at the theaters

By AKSHAY SHARMA

Where would you invest money if Nepal bandhs were to continue in the way they have? "In a video rental store," says Paras Pyakurel of Putali Sadak. The latest technological gizmos have replaced older ways of entertainment. Instead of going to the movie theater or watching the latest craze on the videocassette player, many children are obsessed with computer games.

Until a few years ago, videocassette rentals used to be a booming industry. With advent of computer games and VCDs, it is suffering a setback. The flood of pirated CDs and threats of negative influences on children have worried economists and sociologists alike. The phenomenon is said to be spiritually empty, gradually and almost sublimely undermining local goals and cultural values.

Consumers in fair : Hit by uncertainty

But, then, there are those who insist that the market merely responds to the consumer's interests. Many big video rental stores have computerized systems to facilitate cooperation with customer. And competition among the rental houses still works in the favor of clients.

Technology is changing rapidly, adding greater power and appeal to a globalized popular culture. "Not many people had a television set or a VCR in the old days. So they used to rent them for the day to watch a couple of movies," says Abi Chettri of Tara Hall.

"Maybe that was around the time when people stopped going to movie theaters for other reasons. The famous story doing the rounds in Kathmandu then was of the person waiting to jab you in the back with a syringe infected with the AIDS virus," Chettri says. "Now Hindi movies are released simultaneously in India and Nepal. Although the middle class has stopped going to the theaters, I still enjoy watching a movie the old-fashioned way."

Changes in urban lifestyles are manifested in the entertainment industry. "Until the 1980s, Kathmanduites used to throng movie theaters. This trend suddenly declined after having your own TV and VCR became a status symbol for the middle class," says Anjan Lama, a sociologist at Tribhuvan University.

The market has responded to technological change. "I used to charge 15 rupees for a video tape before. As digital equipment have replaced the old technology, I can rent a movie CD for 25 rupees," says Jems Shrestha, proprietor of Jems Movie 'n' Music.

And competition has driven the market. "It usually takes a few days for a Hindi movie to reach the market," says Basanta Tuladhar of the Tuladhar Movie Center at New Road. "English movies, too, are in here a few weeks after their release."

Consumers, too, seem to be happy with the way the market and technology work. "When CDs were not available, we had to watch movie prints that were barely visible. Now good sound and images are almost taken for granted," says Subesh Pradhan, who describes himself as a movie enthusiast. "There are still those who love to take out video reels - just like there are those who can't think of life without the old-fashioned projector."

CDs of movies, computer games and music recordings are available for around Rs. 120 apiece, although they can be bought for as low as 80 rupees in some stores. "But you cannot refund those [cheaper] CDs even if you discover they are damaged the minute you get back home," cautions Sumit Shrestha of the Suwal Video Library at New Road.

Amod Shrestha believes the movie theater will retain some of its old charm. "You cannot get a Nepali movie on CD or tape. For a Nepali movie enthusiast like myself, the theater is still the center of attraction."

Agrees Lama. "Some may consider an evening at the theater more pleasing than turning on the movie player at home." Of course, this is not a market segment people like Paras Pyakurel would be targeting.