Pune: After BalGandharva Rangmandir Booking Mix-Up, PMC Pushes For Mandatory Online Theatre Reservations
Pune: After BalGandharva Rangmandir Booking Mix-Up, PMC Pushes For Mandatory Online Theatre Reservations
Pune, June 17, 2026: The issue of two events being scheduled simultaneously at Bal Gandharva Rangmandir sparked heated discussion during the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee meeting, with corporators strongly criticizing the administration and demanding measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Standing Committee Chairman Shrinath Bhimale questioned how prime dates at major city theatres, including Bal Gandharva Rangmandir and other important auditoriums, repeatedly end up being reserved by a select group of individuals. To bring greater transparency to the process, he directed the administration to start online reservations through the ‘Rangyatra’ app and avoid yielding to any external pressure.
PMC-owned venues such as Bal Gandharva Rangmandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagruha and Annabhau Sathe Natyagruha witness high demand for theatrical performances, cultural events and political programmes. Currently, reservations are allotted through a lottery system conducted every three months. However, concerns were raised that certain agents routinely secure bookings for highly sought-after dates, including weekends and public holidays, and later resell them at higher prices.
The discussion was triggered by an incident three days ago at Bal Gandharva Rangmandir, where a theatre performance and a condolence meeting were allotted the same time slot. As the condolence programme ran beyond schedule, theatre-goers reportedly entered the venue and created a disturbance, leading to confusion and inconvenience.
Bhimale instructed the administration to implement an online booking system through the Rangyatra app. He suggested consulting artists, theatre producers, theatre enthusiasts and public representatives to make necessary improvements to the application and formulate a clear policy for reservations. He emphasized that bookings should be made entirely online, eliminating offline reservations.
“While all municipal services are being digitised, theatre reservations should also be allotted through the Rangyatra app. Even if pressure is exerted from any quarter, we will not back down from this position,” Bhimale stated.
