MUMBAI: Producers-distributors-exhibitors Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Pvt. Ltd. is targeting to control over 100 cinemas in the Bombay circuit by Diwali 2007. Talks are also on with various multiplex cinema owners all over India.

At present Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision controls 31 cinemas for exhibition in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa. These include Mahesh (Alibaug), Prabhat (Akalkot), Ashok (Panjim), National (Panjim), Samrat (Panjim), Alankar (Mapusa), Cine (Cuncolim), Cinelata (Margaon), Vijayalaxmi (Margaon), Rajhuns (Vasco), Shivam (Vasco), Hira (Bicholim), Trimurti (Soanai), Prabhat (Kolhapur), Royal (Kolhapur), Usha (Kolhapur), Niagra (Curchoren), Prabhakar (Ozar), Chitra (Barsi), Chitralaya (Loni), Shevanta (Junnar), Nandi (Pedne), Milan (Arath), Ganesh (Valod), Movie World (Palanpur), Vaibhav (Vyasa) Apollo (Pune), Vijay (Pune), Diamond (Borivali) and Saaz (Bhandup).

Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision distribution head Pankaj Jaysinh says, “Year after year, the entertainment industry is growing. The volume of business is showing an upward trend. This is a consolidation phase and every corporate body is eyeing the exhibition business with keenness. By Diwali 2007 we will hopefully have a chain of 100 cinemas in the Bombay circuit alone.”

“We will slowly recover our investment from Jaan-E-Mann. We have sold the sub-circuits of Gujarat to D.Y. Patni for Rs 25 million (Rs 2.5 crores). He in turn has split the territory into two and sold Gujarat and Saurashtra. In the bargain, he has pocketed a profit of Rs 5 million. The film is picking up every day and we are confident about it.”