PVR Introduces Passive 2nd Gen 3D Screens at Selected Properties PVR Ltd, the largest cinema exhibition chain in India, is introducing 2nd generation 3D screens at selected PVR Cinemas. The light triple polarized 3D system aims to provide the most superior movie watching experience to movie lovers on account of brighter and better 3D effects. It also promises to bring high sharpness to the images with minimised image distortion. With this transformation, the cinema screens would have unique brightness and amazing light efficiency, elevating the 3Dpresentation to a new level at PVR. On the latest development, Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Cinemas said, "PVR Cinemas are known to bring the best for the patrons. We are the pioneers of bringing IMAX, ECX, online ticketing in the digital sphere of multiplex industry. Taking the legacy forward, we are now installing the 2nd generation 3D screens in our cinemas to give even greater impact of cinematic experience to our audience. With this new transformation we bring the new level of technological comfort and cinematic experience. PVR will install this technology at prime properties including: MGF Mall- Gurgaon, Select Citywalk- Delhi, PVR Juhu- Mumbai, PVR Kukatpally- Hyderabad, PVR Pavillion Mall- Ludhiana, PVR ElanteChandigarh and many more.
INOX's Net Profit Increases to 21 Crore in Q2 The Board of Directors of INOX Leisure Limited (INOX) announced its results for the second quarter of the financial year 2015-16. For the half year ended 30 September, 2015,
INOX reported a 41% increase in Income from Operations, from 498 crore to 704 crore. The earnings before interest tax and depreciation (EBITDA) amounted to 122 crore for the half year ended 30 September, 2015, registering an increase of 85% over the corresponding period in the previous year. Commenting on the results, Deepak Asher, Director & Group Head (Corporate Finance), INOX Group of Companies said, "The line-up of blockbuster content has led to an increase in footfalls, average ticket prices, and an overall increase in sales and profitability figures. With the opening of new properties and a continued pipeline of quality content, we hope to maintain the growth momentum in the forthcoming quarters and deliver a world class film viewing experience to our patrons, and enhance value to our stakeholders."
United Mediaworks Expands its Outreach with Increase in Ad Network United Mediaworks (UMW), the world's most secured digital cinema platform, continues its success story with their fast growing ad network and 1,10,000 seats per show. United Mediaworks gets its revenue from content processing charges, content distribution charges and advertising revenues. The company has added a feather in its hat with their growing ad network which is a positive sign for them. With this huge seating capacity per show and good occupancy level it makes a very cost effective proposition for advertisers to promote their brands in semi metro
cities as well as tier 2 and 3 cities and reach out to these upcoming towns. United Mediaworks recently screened election ad campaigns across its network. The company has been screening corporate ads and has lot of brands on board like LIC, Gillette, Fortune Basmati Rice, SBI Life, Rural Electrification Limited, Bajaj allianze, Chevrolet Enjoy, Manyavar, Emami, Tata Sky, Rupa, UTI and few more. Their ad network has increased tremendously over the last couple of months. Apart from corporate ads, the company has shown great support for social causes by showcasing ads for the same at highly subsidized rates across their network. United Mediaworks assists in digital content security and distribution of films at 512 bit encryption, to get the highest level of security system. Digibutor, the company's patented product, provides scalable technology based products and services aiming to support the media and entertainment industry in India. It allows download of an entire movie in its network cinemas in just 40 minutes through its "Smart Movie Download" feature. This distinctive feature not only helps to reduce time but also manual labour. Commenting on the growing ad network of United Mediaworks, Ashish Bhandari, Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director, United Mediaworks said "We are delighted to witness the daily growth with our ad network. It is a pleasure to view this kind of response to the dedication and hard work of our team. We strive to provide the best services with a high level of security and aim to be one of the top digital distribution services in India. With this kind of response and growth, I am sure the day is not very far when we will be the first partner of choice when it comes to digital content and distribution."
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Kabali expected to release in April 2016
The makers of superstar Rajinikanthstarrer Tamil drama Kabali, which is currently on the floors, are planning to release their film in April 2016 to coincide with the Tamil New Year. "The exact release date is not yet locked, but the plan is to release the film during the Tamil New Year week in April. The shooting will be wrapped up by January next year and the next two months will be spent on post-production work," say sources.
language called 'Tulu', which churns out good movies at the box office every year. Tulu film Chandi Kori has grossed a massive 1.68 crore since its release. It has completed 50 days of successful run at the box office. The success at a rural cinema hall in Sullia has surprised Bolli Movies' team members. The film was a big hit in Belthangady and Moodbidri, but collections plunged after some communal trouble. The Tulu movie received good response overseas too. It was screened at the City Centre in Bahrain recently, five shows organized in Kuwait were houseful and it was also screened at Muscat, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. In coming weeks, the producer plan to screen it in Australia, Singapore and Qatar.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo Grosses 330 crore Worldwide
Directed by Pa Ranjith, the film also features Radhika Apte, Dinesh, Dhanshikaa and Kalaiarasan in important roles. Rajinikanth will be seen essaying the role of a gangster, reportedly based on the life of a don.
Tulu film Chandi Kori grosses 1.68 crore in 50 days Most of the world does not know that there exists a South Indian
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The film, with palatial sets and a larger than life aura, also stars Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Swara Bhaskar, Armaan Kohli and Neil Nitin Mukesh among others.
SRS Cinemas Mulls 60-crore Expansion SRS Cinemas, the cinema exhibition vertical of business conglomerate SRS Group, will be expanding operations into the south and east zones of the country. The film exhibition company already has 57 screens in north India across 15 cities. The plan is to reach 100 screens by the end of 2016. For the expansion, the firm will infuse 45-60 crore seed investments to set up new properties in the urban and semi urban areas of South and East zones with a special focus on Tier-3 and Tier-4 cities. At present, the brand has 20 properties at strategic locations, with 57 screens and 14,750 seats. The focus on Tier-2, 3 and 4 markets is part of the company's strategy for growth. Since there is a lot of clutter in the urban territories, exhibition houses are looking keenly at the non-metro markets.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, which brought together superstar Salman Khan and director Sooraj Barjatya after 16 years, has surpassed the 300 crore mark in just eight days of its release. The movie, which released a day after Diwali on November 12, is a story of a royal family and how an outsider, Prem, played by Salman, tries to mend the broken bridges of the family.
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Made on a budget of 60 crore with 20 crore spent on publicity and advertising -- Barjatya's costliest ever film -- Prem Ratan Dhan Payo was released in 4,500 screens in India and in 1,100 screens in traditional international markets.
Tinku Singh, group president and chief strategy officer at SRS Group, says, "The current phase of expansion will help fill up the vast chasm between demand and supply. These markets also show good pickup for regional movies and so, there is better scope of innovating in the programming of the screens." In the quarter ended September, the cinema business generated revenue of 31 crore, profit after tax of 5.14 crore. Singh sees this grow
significantly as the company expands. SRS Limited has three other verticals that generate revenue - gold & jewellery, retail, and corporate. Currently, cinema is the third largest contributor and Singh expects its contribution to go up once the total number of screens in the country under SRS touches 150. Singh said the company would evaluate opportunities to acquire a local multiplex chain each in its focus territories. There are only 10 screens in India for a million citizens. In China, the figure is 27 per million. At present, India has about 2,100 multiplex screens. SRS has a strong hold in the North with cinema halls in Faridabad, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Bhiwadi, Allahabad, Bijnor, Gorakhpur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Shimla, Lucknow, Agra, Hajipur and Saharanpur.
Cinepolis Eyeing 400 Screens by 2017-end Mexican multiplex chain Cinepolis is planning to add 35 screens to its chain in India by the year-end and also scouting for acquisitions to achieve its 400-screen target by the end of 2017. "This year we have opened 13 screens already. We have 206 screens as of now. We still plan to open 35 more to end up with 241 screens this year," Cinepolis India Managing Director Javier Sotomayor said. The company that is eyeing presence in the top 60 cities in the country said it could have grown at a faster pace but for the slow growth in the mall industry. "The industry is not growing as fast as we wanted them or as fast as they had estimated the growth to be. In 2007, they were saying we will have a 1000 malls in 3 years but we don't have a 1000 malls even in 8 years," he pointed out. "We thought we would have grown faster. It is the matter of the shopping
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centres industry not growing as we expected back then. Not many malls are coming so that is the problem. However, we have a strong pipeline. We have a plan to open more than 400 screens by 2017. We still believe that we can still achieve it," he said. Sotomayor said the company will invest 120 crore per year going forward and added that the cost to open a new screen is approximately 2.5 crore. Cinepolis, which acquired Fun Cinemas in November last year, is also looking at the inorganic growth route. "If we can complement the organic growth with some inorganic acquisition that could help us achieve or exceed our target (of 400 screens by 2017). It's a faster way to grow," he said. The Indian multiplex space has been in consolidation mode as lack of space for opening new cinema halls, low footfalls in a large number of malls and high rentals have made the organic growth difficult. In June, PVR Ltd acquired real estate major DLF's DT Cinemas for 500 crore. In December 2014, Carnival Group acquired Big Cinemas from Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group for an estimated 700 crore, making it the biggest deal in this sector. In July 2014, Inox had acquired Gurgaonbased rival Satyam Cineplexes in a 182-crore deal to strengthen its presence in north India. It also bought multiplex cinema theatre firm Fame India and Calcutta Cinema Private (CCPL) in West Bengal. Sotomayor, however, added that there are not many players available in the cinema space to fuel their acquisition plans. "Whatever makes strategic sense, we will pursue that in acquiring... There are not many companies available. The cinemas that are left are not big ones. It is quite fragmented and we have to take a closer look at each of them," he said. Food and beverages accounts for 30 per cent of Cinepolis' business, while online contributes to 30 per cent of total bookings.
Carnival to Invest 500 cr Carnival Group will invest 500 crore for expanding its foot print in multiplex segment, on a pan India basis, by 2017. Srikant Bhasi, chairman, Carnival group said that by 2017 the group will have 1,000 screens across the country. He said that 200 screens will be added in Madhya Pradesh shortly and more screens will be added in tier -1 and tier- 2 cities. The company will add 40 screens in next six months' time taking the total number of screens to 413. "Our main focus is on entertainment business where we see tremendous scope. Yet we plan to have an organic growth in this growing segment. There is not much scope for inorganic growth, so we focus much on green field facilities across the country, mainly in tier-1 and tier-2 cities," he said. He also said that the company has big plans to acquire more real estate properties wherever there is scope for generating more rental yield. "If we see any property, which has scope of revenue generation we will definitely look into it. We target those areas across the country where rental revenue could be enhanced. At present we have no immediate acquisition plan, yet definitely we are looking at good properties across India," Bhasi added. He added that "the acquisition of the commercial complex in Chandigarh is a major step ahead in this area as more revenue could be generated. The company plans to increase the rental revenue of the newly acquired property by 10 per cent within next 6 months' time. At present, the revenue is between 165 -170 crore per annum. The group will use the non-utilised areas of the mall for this purpose. We have chalked out an aggressive marketing plan for this and the space occupancy will go up", he said.
AJAY BIJLI Master of India Plexing
Listed as the most trusted brand in the Brand Trust Report, 2015, PVR Ltd is the largest cinema exhibition company in India. In fact, the Brand PVR has been listed consecutively in the last three studies as the most trusted in the Entertainment category. Today PVR stands as the largest multiplex chain of India with 477 screens and a strong presence in 44 cities across 107 properties. TheatreWorld gets up close with Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director, PVR Ltd.
• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E • Tell us how PVR Cinemas started. What inspired the group to foray into Cinema Exhibition? What business prospects and fortunes did the Group see in it? It all started with a trip to Orlando, Florida (the United States) where I was introduced to the concept of multiplexes for the first time and was enchanted by the new-age amenities of multiplexes. As a concept it was very appealing to me and I thought it would be well accepted and appreciated in India, a country which thrives on cinema. On returning, I started my venture with the renovation and transformation of the old and dilapidated Priya Cinema into a modern, youth-centric and plush cinema. With this, Priya Cinema also became the first in India to be installed with a Dolby surround sound system. Contemplating the business expansion at that point, I decided to get a technology partner on board. In April 1995, brand PVR was created following a 60:40 joint venture agreement between Priya Exhibitors Pvt Ltd and Village Roadshow Ltd, Australia. At the time, when 'multiplex culture' was an unknown thought in India and cinema exhibition industry was struggling for its existence, we revived the industry. With a vision to provide a platform to enhance the movie watching experience to Indian cinemagoers, we introduced the concept with one cinema, and today from a single screen, PVR stands at 477 screens with a strong presence in 44 cities across 107 properties. What exactly is your vision and mission for this business? How many locations and screens do you visualize in different cities in the coming years? The company's focused vision is its commitment to provide the highest quality of cinema viewing experience.
Our ability to reinvent, innovate and challenge ourselves is a testimony to the revolution that we have brought in the cinema exhibition industry. As innovators in the realm of cinema, our philosophy has always been to push the envelope and come up with unique cinematic experiences for our audience. We have a robust expansion plan, with equal penetration in metros and tier II and tier III cities. We presently stand at a count of 477 screens and aspire to surpass 1000 screens by 2018 pan India, with equal penetration in the tier II and tier III markets. The industry is seeing star megaplexes with 15+ screens. Does PVR Cinemas have any such plans? PVR Cinemas has constantly added new innovations and brought in world-class ideas in the multiplex business. Keeping innovation to its core, PVR is now coming up with yet another world-class concept of the 'Superplex', our biggest property with 15-screens in India. Superplex contains different world class formats under one roof. With this, IMAX technology will also be introduced to North India for the first time. Our endeavours to offer the best to its audience takes another leap with an exclusive kid's zone- the 'Play House', an auditorium dedicated
fully to the little audience. Along with this, the auditoriums would also encapsulate the most advanced stateof-the-art audi set-up. The property will also have Dolby Atmos to provide patrons the most immersive cinematic experience. With its newest innovation, our cinemas envision to capture a wide spectrum of consumers and provide peerless family entertainment package. Do we see PVR Cinemas going abroad in near future? Even though India leads the world average in terms of movies produced each year, the gross under penetration of screens continues to be a cause of worry for the industry. India produces more films than any other country; but the country is under-screened with only 9000 screens - 2,100 multiplex screens and rest single screens - while China has 26,000 and USA 39,000 - with its far lower population. Whereas, China opens about 4,000 to 5,000 screens a year and we in India barely manage about 300 screens. Though, India is also a growing economy and there is huge potential within the country itself hence, we want to focus heavily on the Indian markets as of now (including tier II, tier III and metropolitan cities). PVR is amongst top 10 multiplex chains across the globe in terms of
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• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E • footfalls with a dominant leadership in India with 30-35% share of Hollywood box office, 22-25% of Bollywood box office and 40-42.5% regional box office. It encapsulates 4 mn sq ft of operational retail space and another 3 mn sq ft under development with 60 mn tickets sold in FY 13- 14. We clearly see that the Indian exhibition industry has a lot of scope to grow. As of now, we would like to focus on delivering the best cinematic experience to our patrons. The market is replete with groups and operators jostling for space. What is your plan to keep the PVR brand number 1? We have been quite audacious with our expansion plans. Being in the industry for almost two decades, we understand that one of the important building blocks of a successful film entertainment and retail business is location. When it comes to designing multiplexes, PVR chooses the location of its property from a holistic point of view. Granular details like target market segment, socio-economic strata and the catchment area are examined in detail. Also, we always form a sustained relationship with our developers and have been blessed to get strategic locations for our properties. It's an age of Immersive technology, laser format, 3D digital and large format like
IMAX, and sophisticated ticketing processes. How is PVR Cinemas embracing these technological advancements? PVR Cinemas is a company of many firsts. We have been the first ones to offer online ticketing, queue- less box office and 'on the seat' food offerings. We are also the first multiplex to have 3D enabled screens at all our multiplexes. From introducing the Enhanced Cinema Experience (ECX), PVR has two IMAX enabled screens in Bangalore and Mumbai. Shortly we will be launching India's first Superplex in Noida. PVR is also the first company to have signed the biggest deal with Dolby Atmos to install their premium technology of Dolby Atmos across 50 screens at pan India level. Further, the 4DX technology will soon be visible at our selected properties. From being a conventional cinema exhibitor, PVR underwent a great deal of change with CJ4DX and Dolby Atmos. How did this transformation happen? Cinema exhibition business is extremely dynamic. Entertaining people is a serious business. Hence, we need to constantly innovate and upgrade ourselves (technology, ambience, content) so as to provide the best. Leading the industry since past two decades has been a journey of many innovations. Taking the technological advancement to a different level, PVR is all set to introduce CJ4DX in their cinemas and
have Dolby Atmos across 50 locations to provide the most immersive movie watching experience to the patrons. Multiplex operators today support too many specialty offerings (inspired from international chains) boasting their edge over others. How about PVR Cinemas? PVR has always been a risk taker and has brought in unconventional innovations to India. It is the first company to introduce computerized and online ticketing, credit cards acceptance in cinemas to ease the consumer interface. PVR is the first company to bring the concept of alternate content in India - PVR Live and the first cinema exhibition company to bring a 15 screen Superplex concept in India to offer an unmatched wholesome family experience. Over two decades, we have realised that no two movie-goers are the same. Hence, we have a dedicated team to cater to each catchment of society, based on age, class and choice. We have different programmes for kids like Kids Day Out, where we provide children centric movies. We have programmes like Senior's Day, where we provide special services to assist our senior citizens while watching movies. PVR also brings internationally acclaimed content through Oscar Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and is a host to renowned film festival like MAMI in India. Under PVR Pictures, PVR has brought to its audiences good content films ranging from Hollywood movies, Bollywood and even regional movies offering its patrons diversified content. Under PVR Director's Rare banner, we also support independent filmmakers by releasing their films to offer unconventional content to niche audience. PVR also offers grand spectra of cinema formats like, PVR Gold Class, Director's cut, PVR Premier, PVR Heritage, PVR IMAX, PVR ECX, PVR
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• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E • Cinemas, PVR Talkies, and the soon to be launched PVR Superplex to cater to a wide varied horizon of cinema goers.
entry into India, by 4700BC Popcorn, in March 2013, has been receiving a great love from consumer, with continuous demand even from Tier-II cities. The future looks very promising of this product, which now needs to expand to other parts of the country.
How different is PVR Cinema from others in terms of ambience, services, pricing and cinematic luxuries? PVR has played a catalyst in bringing the 'multiplex culture' in India. We try to leave no stones unturned to provide the next-level of cinematic experience to our patrons. One can easily experience it through grand architecture, design and facilities provided at our properties. With Director's Cut, PVR has provided the ultimate cinema watching platform to the Indian movie connoisseurs. We have 'at your seat' facility at our property. We also take care of the taste buds of the patrons that visit us. We have offered a wide range of food and beverage options for our guests at our various multiplexes. Now we have gone beyond the standard sandwich/ burgers, and have introduced the concept of Gourmet food at our cinemas. Tell us about PVR's major JV with blu-O. PVR bluO is a prestigious joint venture between PVR Cinemas and Major Cineplex, Thailand which has redefined interactive entertainment both in terms of scale and experience. bluO as a niche, sophisticated brand, operating upscale entertainment centres, offers diverse highlights such as bowling, global cuisine and innovative concepts under one umbrella. Is this JV only in metros and big cities or spread all across the country including tier-II and tierIII cities? Presently, bluO has 6 centres across Delhi/NCR, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Pune and Ludhiana. Tell about the share holders' reaction to Cinemax and DT Cinemas acquisition.
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Tell us more about PVR Pictures' partnership with major studios and the TIFF. PVR Pictures enjoys great relationships with all key studios such as Lions Gate, Annapurna, Lotus, New Image, Europacorp, StudioCanal, FilmNation, IM Global, Weinstein, Sierra Affinity, etc.
Shareholder's reaction to Cinemax acquisition has been very encouraging and positive. We are extremely satisfied with the way Cinemax acquisition and its subsequent integration with PVR has played out. Recently, PVR Ltd executed definitive agreements with DLF Utilities Ltd. to acquire its cinema exhibition business, which is operated under the brand name of 'DT Cinemas', on slump sale basis. The proposed transaction is subject to applicable statutory and regulatory approvals. We would be able to comment more on this acquisition once the process of all approvals are completed. Tell us more about PVR acquiring majority stake in Zea Maize. PVR has brought major stake in Zea Maize Pvt Ltd, which owns the Delhibased startup 4700BC Popcorn in process to offer Gourmet Popcorn offerings to its customers, and lead the Popcorn consumer market in India. Gourmet Popcorn, since its
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which has become the launching pad for the best of international, Hollywood and Canadian cinema this year screened nine films from the PVR Pictures banner amongst other critically acclaimed international films. They include Sicario, Legend, The Program, Equals, Demolition, The Idol, About Ray (Three Generations), Youth and Trumbo. In the last two years, many cinemas have been shutting down (almost 3000 screen closed down in past 2 years). Contrastingly, in China alone, 5000 screens were added last year. In your opinion, what are the major reasons for the contrasting Indian scenario? Is it lack of technology awareness or good content or anything else? Indian entertainment industry is replete with a lot of constraints. From high entertainment taxes (Delhi Government increased the Entertainment Tax by 100% recently), high operating cost to slow infrastructure growth more specifically Mall growth, finding apt location and getting statutory government licenses and approvals are major hindrances for the multiplex industry . Also some states have the restriction on the number of shows and ticket pricing. In our
• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E • to see. Going out to the movies is a social experience, and the problem that theatres are facing isn't that home theatres get the content too early, but it's actually the fault of theatre owners who are not investing in making the experience good.
estimates, India has the capacity to absorb 10,000 multiplex screens or even more. India is the highest producer of movies in numbers (1100++ in 2014) yet producers complain they don't get theatres to release their films. Can you throw some light on the scenario - number of screens vis-Ă -vis number of movies released? Even though India leads the world average in terms of movies produced each year, the gross under penetration of screens continues to be a cause of worry for the industry as domestic theatricals is the primary source of monetizing content for most films. India has approximately 7 screens per million people, whereas USA has as high as 125 screens / million and China has more than 16 screens per million. Additionally, the screen distribution is also skewed in favour of urban centres. Mumbai Delhi/ UP circuit together constitute approximately 60 per cent of the total box office collections for most Hindi films. Thus, besides inorganic growth, many exhibitors are also investing in organic expansion especially in tier 2 and 3 cities to capitalize on the opportunity of lower screen penetration. PVR, with its robust expansion plans, presently has 477 screens successfully running in the country and aims to cross the mark of 500 screens with the motive of providing an international
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experience of movie watching to its audience. We focus on providing patrons with an excellent cinema experience in both metropolitan as well as smaller cities. Do you think television and home cinema are threats to the cinema exhibition industry? Television, Home Video and now online streaming have been a competition to the cinemas industry for many years. However, this is not the first time in history that cinema operators have faced such a major threat. In West, the introduction of television in the 1950s dampened demand and deterred cinemagoers over the next few decades, but the introduction of multiplexes and releases of more blockbusters provided the industry with a significant boost. Yes, the movie itself is a key part of deciding to go out to the theatre, but it's the overall theatre-going experience that really drives people. Lots of people decide they want to "go out to movies" before they even decide what movie
We recognize that making the theatre experience better is the strategy that will work in the long run. While we do spend enormous amount of time in dealing with Industry issues such as windows and online streaming and piracy, at the same time, we also put a lot of effort in giving people reasons to go to the theatre. People want to go out. People want to have a special experience and enjoy being out with friends. That's what we would like to capitalize on. People can stay home and eat, but restaurants still do fine business, because people want that better experience of going out to eat. The same is true for going to the movies, but only if we recognize that we have to make that an experience worth going out to. How does PVR Cinemas look at anti-piracy issue in the country? Piracy continues to be the biggest problem that we face in the entertainment business today. Our internal estimates peg that the industry losses about 25%- 30% of revenue every year. Piracy is not only affecting the film producers but the government is also losing a lot in form of taxes slipping out of their hands. One pirated copy of the film recording uploaded on the web leads to huge amount of loss for the producers, and others employed in the business of film making. The industry is probably providing bread and butter to lakhs of people and it is dismal to see that quarter of its profits is directly marred due to piracy. With entertainment tax increasing to 40% in a few states, the situation has become even more difficult. We, as the biggest cinema exhibition company, feel it is our responsibility to educate people by showing antipiracy ads before film screening.
• INDIA PLEXING •
Delhi's Heritage
Amba Cinemas Upgraded! One of the oldest landmarks in the residential and commercial neighbourhood of Kamla Nagar, Amba Cinemas hasits own loyal visitors from in and around North Delhi. The single-screen cinema is reminiscent of an old-world charm that many would love to cherish even in this age of multiplxes. Pocket-friendly ticket prices, mouthwatering eateries andeasy accessibility with Metro make Amba Cinemas a convenient option for many in the city. The 53-yr-old cinema decided to upgrade its audio and projection systems to meet the latest technology standards. HARMAN, the premier connected technologies company for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, recently completed the audio upgrade for this heritage cinema.
Amba Cinemas opted for JBL's 5732 & 3730 three-way ScreenArray Cinema Loudspeakers, 4642A Dual Subwoofer System and Crown Amplifiers. The massive hall, which has a seating capacity of 1000+ people, presented some unique challenges for the installation team, who had to ensure that the quality of audio remained consistent across the hall. The month-long installation was completed just in time to screen Baahubali, one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. The audience feedback on the enhanced cinematic experience at Amba has been extremely positive with many patrons claiming it to be at par with multiplexes with the added advantage of being pocketfriendly. With the multiplex revolution that has taken over urban India, single-
screen theatres have been hit hard, with many struggling to survive and ultimately forced to shut down. Many of our cities' heritage cinemas have disappeared in the last decade as they've been unable to cope with the pressure. However, theatre owners are now beginning to realise the importance of technology in reviving single-screen cinemas and restoring them to their former glory. In order to survive, it has become imperative for theatre owners to evolve with the times and to find new ways to woo cine-goers. Many are now investing in state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure upgrades, while continuing to maintain their cultural identity and distinct old-world charm, in order to enhance the movie-viewing experience and attract audiences.
• INDIA PLEXING •
Cinépolis Launches its Second
Multiplex in Hyderabad & Forays into Kochi With the launch of its second state-of-the-art multiplex in Hyderabad and first-ever luxury experience in Kochi, Cinépolis takes its total screen count to a whopping 217 in India. The recent launches are in line with the Mexican multiplex operator's strategic vision of widening its pan-India footprint and its ambition of tapping the ripe Southern India market for cinema exhibition.
State-of-the-art Multiplex in Hyderabad Cinépolis, world's 4th largest and India's 1st international exhibitor, launched its second state-of-the-art multiplex in Hyderabad's Malkajgiri Ramachandra CCPL Mall. With complete digital projection, the multiplex will offer users a visuallystunning experience a hallmark of the Cinépolis brand. Equipped with RealD 3D screens, digital sound and largest legroom in the industry, Cinépolis continues to wow spectators in India! Javier Sotomayor - M.D Cinépolis India, Ashish Shukla - Director Expansion Cinépolis India,
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Devang Sampat - Head, Strategic Initiatives Cinépolis India, Shivraj Thakur (Colonial Constructions), Yuvraj Singh (Colonial Constructions) and B Sreekanth Reddy (Ramchandra Exhibitors) were present during the launch.
Commenting on the launch Javier Sotomayor, Managing Director, Cinépolis India said, "We are committed to expand in India, and Hyderabad is an important market in our growth strategy. This is the second Cinépolis property in the city.
• INDIA PLEXING • Our plan is to open more than 35 screens in next 3 years. We thank Mr. Shivraj Thakur for the opportunity to gift this high-tech Multiplex to the people of Hyderabad at the Ramachandra CCPL Cinépolis." "We are planning to close this year at 250+ screens with new properties opening in Bengaluru, Kochi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. Our plan is to open 60-70 screens per year to achieve the target of 400 screens by 2017. Ashish Shukla, Director Expansion said, "South is an attractive territory for the Multiplex industry and we are looking to tap the potential of this market. This is our second launch in South India in last three months. We will launch two more Multiplexes in this market by end of this year in Kochi (11 screens) and Benguluru (5 screens)." Devang Sampat, Business Head Strategy, Cinépolis India shared, "At Cinépolis, our constant endeavor
is to deliver unmatched levels of customer service. The technology and experience that patrons will enjoy at the newly-unveiled Cineplex will be in perfect synchrony with our brand proposition. Cinépolis is also launching Club Cinépolis, the company's flagship loyalty program that would further enhance customer experience."
Shivraj Thakur, Director - Colonial Constriction Pvt. Ltd., shared, "We are glad to join hands with an international brand as big as Cinépolis. We are expecting a heavy footfall and look forward to a long term patronage of Hyderabad residents at this multiplex.
• INDIA PLEXING •
Luxury Multiplex in Kochi
Cinépolis brings the first-ever luxury movie-watching experience to the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi. It launched its 11-screen (8 regular and 3 VIP) state-of-the-art multiplex in the vibrant port city's Centre Square Mall, taking its total screen count in India to a whopping 217. The recent launch is in line with the Mexican multiplex operator's strategic vision of widening its pan-India footprint and its ambition of tapping the ripe Southern India market for cinema exhibition. Kochi has been identified as a vital market for Cinépolis thanks to its strategic geographical location, its high appetite for cinema consumption and its growing economic potential. Kochi is likely to see a greater spurt in its cosmopolitan populace and the number of working professionals, making it an ideal gateway for Cinépolis to venture into Kerala. Cinépolis Kochi will also be the third Cinépolis VIP property in India,
offering a superlative movie viewing experience to the discerning audience of the port city. The Cinépolis VIP is a truly revolutionary concept that reinvents entertainment with full leather recliners, the intheatre restaurant apart from the existing service on-seat. Commenting on the Kochi launch Javier Sotomayor, Managing Director, Cinépolis India said, "Kochi is
amongst the fastest growing and the most vibrant of cities in India. Its infrastructure is now set to get a greater push with the PM's Smart City Mission, resulting in newer jobs and a larger young, urban population. The launch of the 11-screen theatre in Kochi is in sync with our ambitious expansion plans. Demonstrating our commitment to the target of reaching the 400-screen landmark by 2017 is the fact that we have also recently unveiled our second property in Hyderabad and are ready to set foot in city of Kolkata." Ashish Shukla, Director Expansion said, "At Cinépolis, we have already expressed the vitality of Southern India for our business development. The launch in Kochi is the third for us in this part of the country in three months. We are set to further consolidate our leadership position in Southern India by unveiling 5 screens in Bengaluru in the next few months."
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• INDIA PLEXING •
Devang Sampat, Business Head Strategy, Cinépolis India shared, "Kochi is home to a large number of cinema aficionados who can now enjoy a highly elevated movie watching experience with Cinépolis and Cinépolis VIP. Cinépolis is also launching Club Cinépolis, the company's flagship loyalty program that would further enhance customer experience. Our best of technology and facilities are sure to enhance customer experience, turning them into long-term brand loyalists as has been the case in all other cities where we have previously launched our theatres." With complete digital projection, the 11-screen multiplex in Kochi will offer audiences a visually-stunning experience, a hallmark of the Cinépolis brand. Equipped with RealD 3D screens, digital sound and the largest legroom in the industry, Cinépolis continues to wow spectators in India! Making the movie-watching experience all the more pleasurable is the gourmet food on offer at the in-house coffee shop, Coffee Tree. Rahul Nair, Managing Director of Everstone Capital Advisors commented "We are glad to join hands with an international brand as respected and large as Cinépolis. Located in the heart of the city, we offer the most advanced cinema-watching experience. We expect heavy footfall and look
forward to the long-term patronage of Kochi residents". Cinépolis India currently has operations in more than 30 Indian cities namely at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Surat,
Jaipur, Bhopal, Patna, Thane, Vijayawada, Vadodara, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Ambala, Panipat, Ghaziabad, Mangalore, Hubli, Kota, Gwalior, Coimbatore, Khanna, Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Ghaziabad and Ranchi.
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• INDIA PLEXING •
Miraj Launches
54th Screen
With the launch of its 54th screen at Subhash Nagar, New Delhi, Miraj Cinemas chalks out strategic expansion plans for North India.
Miraj Cinemas, a prominent player in the cinema exhibition market, forayed into the capital on 12 November 2015 with its 54th screen in Delhi at Subhash Nagar, opposite Pacific Mall. Miraj Cinemashas already rolled out over 50 screens in the last three years and is among one of the fastest growing chain of theatres in India. The multi-screen property of Miraj Cinemas in Delhi boasts of 500 plush seating capacity with the latest audio-visual technology, at affordable rates. Amit Sharma, MD, Miraj Cinemassaid, "We are happy to mark our presence with 54th screens here in New Delhi.
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• INDIA PLEXING • In next one year we are also planning to spread our wings in 4-5 key areas in Delhi NCR. We have kept competitive prices at par with our regional screens without compromising on the quality of experience for people of Delhi." Commenting on the brand strategy, he added that "We want our presence in every nook and cranny, so that the brand retains its pan-India flavour." He also explained that in phase one Miraj will be operating 100 screens pan Indian by end of financial year 2016, with 300 screens in two years and 500 screens in 3 years. Miraj majorly aims to penetrate in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and endeavours to create a strong foothold in north India. Equipped with laser technology Miraj has tapped Delhi's Rajaouri Garden location as it is densely populated and very well connected with rest of the city. The surrounding is one of the major plus point to gear up the beginning of Miraj cinemas in Delhi, with few more upcoming locations in pipeline. Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, AVP, Operations, Miraj Cinemas says, "We have invested nearly 75 crores over past few years and will go all out to enhance our presence massively in states such as Punjab, UP, Uttarakhand and Haryana among other northern states."
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• INDIA PLEXING •
Srinivasa Theatre
New Cinematic Journey with 3D Srinivasa Theatre, Bengaluru achieves yet another milestone with the installation of Harkness Clarus XC 270, designed to deliver stunning picture quality in both 3D as well as conventional 2D. The first two movies featured post installation, Rudhramadevi and The Walk, received an overwhelming response from its loyal patrons.
Srinivasa Theatre, one of the three single-screen cinema halls operated by S. N. Annaiha Reddy and Brothers owner and partners of Lakshmi Naryana Traders in Bengaluru, has always embraced new possibilities of business expansion with open arms ever since its inception. With an endeavor to deliver the best cinemaviewing experience to the patrons of the city, Srinivasa Theatre takes on a new cinematic journey with the installation of the latest generation Harkness silver screen, the Clarus XC 270, 2.7 gain screen and GetD's latest polarization system. The 52x21 ftscreen at Srinivasa Theatre is wider compared to other single-screens and its conversion into Clarus XC 270 screen, is a yet another milestone for Srinivasa Theatre. Rajashekar Reddy, head of Srinivasa Theatre, Lakshmi Theatre and the recently renovated Balaji Theatre (featured in TheatreWorld MarchApril 2015 issue), is an enterprising single-screen owner, keen on offering the best to his viewers."We
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S. N. Annaiha Reddy and Brothers
were the first to install Harkness Spectral 240, 2.4 gain silver insinglescreen theatre in south India in the year 2009 for Avatar," says Rajashekar Reddy. "I would say, working with Harkness has always been an amazing experience.They have an excellent team that values time and commitment. Installing this screen in three days' time is a challenging task and we love to take up challenges! We are happy to have approached Harkness, whom we can trust completely. Mr Sriram who took utmost care and responsibility of fulfilling our dream in three days, playeda significant role in accomplishing this project." "We screened two movies as an inaugural to the new screen. One is
Sony Pictures' The Walk and other is the Telugu film Rudhramadevi. Although The Walk hasn't scored well at global box offices, it did fine at Srinivasa. However, Rudhramadevi received an excellent opening, thanks to the multi-lingual cosmopolitan culture of the city," says an amused Rajashekar. The Harkness Clarus XC 270 3D screens use Harkness' brand new 4th
• INDIA PLEXING • generation screen technology to provide a wide viewing angle, greater uniformity, improved colour and contrast both in 2D and polarised 3D. Clarus XC 270 3D screens are designed for use in all cinema auditoria where 3D systems using polarised light are deployed. Whilst designed for 3D, the surface type also supports conventional 2D pictures giving a viewing experience similar to that of a conventional white screen. d-smooth coating technology applied to the unique base material provides a visibly smoother surface finish and deeper visual perspective to 3D content. Harkness' proprietary and unique seam welding process ensures screens have no visible seams under projection conditions. "The relationship between Rajashekar and his group of cinemas and Harkness screens is more than five years old when he installed the Harkness Spectral 240, 2.4 gain silver screen at his Lakshmi Theatre, Bangalore to screen James Cameron's 3D blockbuster, Avatar," reveals Sriram Sistla, Director for Sales-India, Harkness Screens India Pvt Ltd. He further adds, "Rajshekar has always been keen to ensure that he is able to deliver the best viewing experience for his patrons. With the long awaited Telugu film Rudhramadevi being released in 3D, Rajshekar was keener to ensure that
his cinema should be able to playback this film in 3D. We have been able to help him do this by providing technical consultancy on screen frame design, choice of screen etc to help the cinema deliver an outstanding viewing experience for its patrons." Elaborating on the installation, Sriram says,"Rajshekar provided us with AutoCAD drawings of Srinivasa Theatre and we advised him on redesigning his screen frame and on the choice of the Harkness screen that would best ensure world-class picture quality. This was done after considering the projection equipment that was already installed and the choice of 3D system. To the
Rajashekar Reddy Head - Srinivasa Theatre
credit of Rajshekar, he readily agreed to our recommendations, even if it meant closing the cinema for a few days to carry out the changes in the frame design. Today, Srinivasa Theatre has become the toast of the exhibition industry in Bangalore and we are proud to have played a part in this transformation." "The Harkness Clarus XC 270 is a 2.7 gain premium silver screen designed to deliver stunning picture quality in both 2D as well as 3D. This is possible due to the painstaking R&D effort of our Technical Team to develop a screen that delivers a better viewing angle, better distribution of light across the screen and truly immersive 3D. The Harkness Clarus family of screens is available in various gain factors -- 1.4. 1.7. 2.2 and 2.7. With a manufacturing facility in Bangalore, Harkness is very well placed to deliver screens manufactured with the latest technology to our customers both in India and other countries with minimum lead times," explains Sriram.
November-December 2015
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• INDIA PLEXING •
E-SQUARE
Wholesome Entertainment with New Xion One of India's leading entertainment companies, E-SQUARE recently launched Xion to cater to the cosmopolitan IT sector of Hinjewadi. The company's longtime associates, Pen Workers installed premium seats at the new multiplex and also renovated the seating at the 12-year-old University Road E-SQUARE with high-quality recliners. TheatreWorld gets a sneak preview!
It was the year 2003, when E-SQUARE changed the face of entertainment in Pune by introducing the city's first multiplex with a food court. Ever since, E-SQUARE has established itself as one of India's leading entertainment companies, with presence in the entire value chain in Film Exhibition and Distribution. It has created a benchmark in the industry by bringing in a professional
and service-oriented approach to the business. Currently, it has properties in Maharashtra in Pune, Mumbai, Pimpri, Aurangabad, Beed, Ahmednagar. The company also operates a hotel and restaurant business in Pune. E-SQUARE recently launched Xion, a 6-screen multiplex with 200 seats each, catering to cosmopolitan IT Hemant Manmohan Panchamia Managing Director E-SQUARE Entertainment
sector of Hinjewadi, its burgeoning residential localities and approximately 25 colleges surrounding the multiplex. With Xion, E-SQUARE aims to provide wholesome entertainment to patrons, focusing on providing the highest standards of seating, sound and projection, thereby giving a promising cinematic experience. It's none other than the 92 years old Pen Workers that installed premium seats at the new Xion. The company is by far the largest one in India to
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• INDIA PLEXING • manufacture and install premium seats exclusively to cinemas and auditoriums. The association between E-SQUARE and Pen Workers has been over 12 years old now. With the M Ticket Concept, patrons will be able to walk in straight without a physical ticket. Dolby Atmos is one of the key USP of the multiplex, and also the first installation in Pune. One of the pioneers of the multiplex industry in Maharashtra, E-SQUARE was the third multiplex of Pune. The E-SQUARE Group is one of the chains having the highest Average Shows per Screen. Hemant Manmohan Panchamia, Managing Director, E-SQUARE Entertainment, is a selfmade entrepreneur, having forayed into active business since the age of 16! With interests in various businesses such as floorings, car trading, advertising, cine equipment, engineering factories, film distribution, he nurtured his passion for film production under the banner Neha Arts and produced several Hindi films such as Baaghi, Chal Mere Bhai, Laadla, Anjali and Bol Radha Bol.
Fact File Cinema Name Location Promoter Architects Concept & Shell Architets: Interior Architects / Interior Designer: Consultants Technical Design of Audi & Acoustical Consulting: Building services (HVAC, Plumbing, FFTG, Elect) & Lighting (cold cathode & neon): Equipments Projectors: Processors: Speakers: Screen: Seating: Lighting (stepp): Carpets: Acoustical Materials:
E-Square Xion Mall, Hinjawadi, Pune E-Square Leisure Private Limited Anirudh Vaidya & Associates, Pune MNS Designs (Arch. Sohail Kapadia) Jal Mistry, Mumbai N.M Deodhar & Company, Pune
Christie 2215 Dolby Atmos CP850 & Dolby 7.1 S L Audio Harkness Silver Screen 3.0 Gain Pen Workers Shrikrishnashray A to Z, Mumbai Anutone Acoustics
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• INDIA PLEXING •
E-SQUARE University Road Seating Refurbished Set up in 2003, University Road E-SQUARE in Pune was one-ofits-kind in India back then, having a food court, bar and pub, 5-star hotel, commercial gym -- all under the same roof. With 6 Screens, and the biggest screen at 584 seats, the total capacity was 1384. To enhance the seating comfort of its patrons, E-SQUARE roped in their old associates Pen Workers to renovate the seating of the multiplex. The premium quality recliners, one of the widely preferred and fastest selling categories of seats, have given an added edge to this University Road property of E-SQUARE. The current set-up includes: Dolby 7.1 with Christie 2K Projectors, Screen 5 (584 seats) with a 4 K Projector, Sound by ElectroVoice EVI and Silver Screens of Harkness Screens and Galalite.
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• INDIA PLEXING •
Kolhapur's
First Premium Multiplex PVR brings the first premium multiplex to Kolhapur with a mega three-screen property. Spread across an area of 19,012 sq ft, the multiplex is a state-of-the art infrastructure with the most advanced technology. Kolhapur, the birth place of Bhalchandra Pendharkar, the father of Marathi cinema, has been the epic centre of Marathi cinema for many years. It was about time that Kolhapur had a multiplex revolution to redefine cinema for the thousands of movie aficionados in the city. Understanding this need, PVR, the largest cinema exhibitions company in India has ushered the multiplex revolution in Kolhapur with their debut project in DYP City. At the launch, Mr Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Cinemas, said, "From being an industrial hub for the entrepreneurs, to a favourite tourist destination for the explorers; Kolhapur breeds a population with varied interests. But one thing which binds everyone is 'Cinema'; no wonder that the city plays a host to so many important film festivals. This is PVR's debut project in Kolhapur. The multiplex is offering state-of-the art infrastructure with the most advanced technology to the patrons in the city. We are very excited and hope that we receive an
equally overwhelming response from the people here as well." For decades, Kolhapur city has been a favourite shopping destination for people from neighbouring small towns. With its increasing demand for family entertainment, it was evident that a multi brand mall was the need of the hour. The Kolhapur based DY Patil Group, gauging the demand and the potential of the city, has opened Kolhapur's first mall - DYP City. At the launch of the mall, Dr Sanjay D Patil, President, DYP Group, "It's our consistent effort to bring in the finest facets of lifestyle to the people. Our multi-brand mall is one of our many thoughtful efforts to bring in all the luxuries across verticals/ categories through multi- brands. We are very overwhelmed to have the biggest and the most prestigious brands like PVR, which is also making its debut with our mall in the city, to be a part of our journey of developing this city. We hope and look forward for a longterm association with them." Situated on the third floor, PVR is spread across an area of 19,012 sq. ft.
that promises to cater to 726 seating audience. The auditoriums are equipped with regular mainstream seating and recliners to serve the patrons a high end luxury experience. The walls are installed with plasmas and poster boxes to share the latest and upcoming movie information with the customers. The screens are equipped with the latest 2K Projection along with 7.1 Digital Dolby Surround Sound and 3D screens to accentuate the movie watching experience. Mr Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd also added, "Our debut in Kolhapur is an earnest attempt to bring in the multiplex culture to the city. We want to make sure that the best in class cinematic experience is accessible to all our patrons, not only metros but to tier 2, tier 3 cities. Kolhapur is a film city for the cinema lovers and we see tremendous scope and potential in this market to launch our property. I would like to extend my gratitude to the mall developers, Mr Sanjay Dnyan Deo Patil of DYP Group, who has provided us the most suitable location- in the heart of the town, which is easily accessible to our patrons not only in Kolhapur, but also in adjoining cities like Belgaum, Bhiwandi, Ichalkarangi etc." With this launch, PVR's screen count in Maharashtra reaches to 138 screens across 34 properties; and 477 screens in 107 properties across 44 cities (pan India).
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• INDIA PLEXING •
Citypride Royal Cinemas
The Pride of Pune
A major player in Pune and Western Maharashtra, Citypride Multiplexes, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chaphalkar Brothers, unveils Citypride Royal Cinemas, a 4-screen property, in association with Royal Cinemas at Spot 18 Mall, Rahatani-Pune.
Citypride Multiplexes, a whollyowned subsidiary of Chaphalkar Brothers Pune, unveils Citypride Royal Cinemas, a 4-screen property in association with Royal Cinemas promoted by Sunil Advani and Hargobind Tejwani. The multiplex will be launched in the month of December 2015 at Spot 18 Mall, Rahatani-Pune. The Citypride brand is one of the very few family-owned multiplex chains with its roots dating
back to 1939 when the first singlescreen cinema of the group was opened. It is located at the plush Spot 18 Mall in Rahatani, one of the most sought after commercial localities in Pune with excellent connectivity to Pimpri Chinchwad (PCMC) area, which is hailed as one of the most booming infrastructure developments in Maharashtra and Hinjewadi IT city,
the third biggest IT hub in India after Bangalore and Hyderabad. This location advantage will help cater a large catchment area with majority of IT professionals with good spending capacity. The average expectancy of footfalls at this cinema would be around 2000 people per day on weekdays and 4500-5000 people per day on weekends. Citypride Royal Cinemas will be one of the most luxurious properties in Pune featuring the best in technology and comfort for the audiences. This property will feature 4 screens with a total seating capacity of 817 seats. This will be one of the very few multiplexes in the country and the first property in Citypride chain to feature Laser projection technology for the best viewing experience. The larger screens will also feature the signature Dolby Atmos sound system which will provide an immersive surround sound environment for the audience. Pen Workers has been the first choice for furniture for Citypride
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• INDIA PLEXING •
Multiplexes for over a decade. For Citypride Royal Cinemas, Pen Workers have customised their chairs to make them 2 inches wider than the traditional push back seats. As a result, it has 23-inch chairs with pushback comfort. Also, they have provided sofa seats and recliners all in black leather, which adds to the premium feel for the audience. The recliner seats are capable of 180 degrees recline which means a person can almost lie down and enjoy the movie. All the seats provided by Pen Workers are of fine quality and meet the international standards of cinema comfort.
the first multiplex in Maharashtra and only the second in India, which opened in Pune in the year 2001 with the aim to create a complete family entertainment centre. The chain has now grown to 17 properties with a total of 40 screens with a capacity of over 15,000 seats in Pune and Western Maharashtra. Their aim is to cross the 50 screens mark by 2017.
Fact File Cinema Name
Citypride Royal Cinemas
Location
Spot 18 Mall, Rahatni, Pune
Promoter
Royal Cinemas - Sunil Advani, Citypride Multiplexes: Prakash Chaphalkar & Arvind Chaphalkar
Architects
Amit Bhat
Projectors:
NEC 1100
Processors:
Dolby CP850 Atmos
Amplifiers:
Harman Crown DSI 200,4000,6000
Speakers:
Screen Arrays: Harman JBL 4732 Bi Amp 3 way Subwoofers: Harman JBL 4642A, Surround: Harman JBL 8350A
Citypride Brand - A Dominant Player in Pune & Western Maharashtra
Screen:
Harkness Spectral 240 high gain Silver Screens with 1.8 gain
Seating:
Pen Workers 23 inch Pushback seats and 34 inch Leather Recliners with 180 degrees recline
Lighting (interior):
Hybec LED Lighting, Dimmers Lighting by Darbari
The Citypride brand was established with the vision of partners Arvind Chaphalkar and Prakash Chaphalkar when the Multiplex chain pioneered
Carpets:
A to Z, Pune
Acoustical materials:
Anutone Acoustics & Armstrong
Concession:
Coca Cola, Gold Medal Popcorn, Nestle
Citypride is also coming up with 10 more screens in Pune and Western Maharashtra which will be operational by 2017.
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• INDIA PLEXING •
The Citypride Group now boasts of a diverse portfolio of Entertainment, Renewable Energy, Hospitality and Construction businesses. As a dominant player in Pune and western Maharashtra, their mission is to differentiate their services by providing the best cinema experience to their patrons at competitive prices and to be recognised as a customer-friendly brand. The screens are equipped with the best in class technology be it 2K and 4K projection, Dolby surround sound and Digital 3D. Along with cutting-edge technology, they also offer a great selection of Food & Beverages, with competitive pricing as the main focus. One of the key focus areas is also to bring multiplex quality cinema experience to smaller towns by upgrading the existing single screen cinemas and converting them to multi-screen properties with the same technical specifications as other big city multiplexes. To meet this goal, Citypride has upgraded 5 of their single-screen properties in two and three tier cities to multiscreen properties along with rebranding them as Citypride to provide an immersive movie watching experience to the audience.
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• BUSINESS TREND •
Christie India's New
State-of-the-Art Facility in Bangalore Christie, a global visual technology company, expands its presence in India, with the inauguration of its facility in the International Technology Park in Bangalore, a major IT hub in India's Silicon Valley. TheatreWorld takes a sneak peek into the new premises that will provide a superior level of service and support to Christie's clients and partners in India. Christie, a global visual technology company, expanded its presence in India, with the inauguration of its facility at an event attended by customers and business partners in the country, as well as senior members of the Christie management team. Located in the International Technology Park in Bangalore, a major IT hub in India's Silicon Valley, the new premises will provide a superior level of service and support to Christie's clients and partners in India, which clearly reflects Christie's ongoing commitment to the Indian market, which has seen tremendous growth and potential in recent years. Occupying over 13,500 square feet, Christie India's new home is three times larger than its former premises situated within the same industrial park. It hosts a vast area devoted to warehousing, a conference room with full AV facilities, "Inspire, Create, Experience" (I.C.E) showrooms for displaying Christie's latest technologies and staging live demos, a full-fledged service centre, as well as a clean room for performing cleaning and repairs of
light engines for cinema projectors. This makes Christie India the first office in the Asia Pacific region to be equipped with a clean room facility. Ilampooranan S, Sr FAE, Christie Digital Systems (India) Private Limited, walks us through the facility. Among the products on display in the I.C.E showrooms are the Christie MicroTiles, Christie Entero HB 67-inch
display cubes, Christie Phoenix video wall controllers, Christie FHD552-X HD LCD panels, Christie QuadHD84 LCD panel, and the Christie HD14K-M 3DLP projectors driven by the Christie Spyder X20 video processor. In addition, Christie's state-of-the-art digital cinema projectors, crafted and built for entertainment environments, will be available for
Rajesh Patkar, Deputy General Manager of Christie India (left) showing guests around the I.C.E showrooms
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• BUSINESS TREND • demonstrations. The showcased products will be refreshed on a regular basis so that customers can experience the latest and most up-todate visual solutions. "I would like to congratulate Christie India on the official opening of its new and bigger facility. India is one of our key markets in Asia and the new office will help to expand our presence and deepen our synergistic relationships with our local partners and customers in India," said Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific. "We have seen significant growth in the Indian market and there's continued strong potential for our full spectrum of comprehensive visual solutions. As a leader with more than 85 years of experience in the visual industry, we are definitely well-prepared to support the growth in the Indian market." Michael Bosworth, general manager, Christie India, added, "The opening of our new facility marks a new milestone for Christie in India. It represents our continued and sustained efforts in staying ahead of the competition and constantly meeting the needs of all our customers and partners who have supported us over the years. With the bigger and better facilities for sales, servicing and warehousing, I'm confident that we can provide better response and assistance to all our customers on technical, sales and related issues in a shorter turnaround time."
Ilampooranan S Senior Engineer at the Site
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• BUSINESS TREND •
TheatreWorld catches up with Rajesh Patkar, Deputy General Manager, Christie Digital Systems (India), for a better understanding of the facility. Excerpts from the interview:
Christie has had a strong presence in the Indian market for more than 10 years. Working with its established partner network, Christie India has accomplished a number of firsts in the visual solutions industry. It is the first company to offer 20,000-lumen high-brightness projectors for sale in India, and the first and only company to date to accomplish fixed-installed video mapping projects in the country. Among its list of widely-acclaimed projects include the Old Fort and Guru Tegh Bahadur Memorial Park in Delhi, the brilliant projection mapping performance on the facades of Jodhpur's renowned Umaid Bhawan Palace, and the deployment of close to 200 Christie Roadster Series projectors for last year's general elections, which was the largest deployment of Christie projectors for a single event in India to date. Today, Christie India is the leading player in high brightness rental staging market in India.
A facility for Partners & Industry We have moved to this place to give an experience to the industry where we can control the servicing and logistics part and allow our industry to come and see what products and technology we are offering. We would like our partners to bring their customers and use the facility for demos. We support the partners, do the training and see that they are well equipped.
Cutting-Edge Technology Projectors which are mapped, MicroTiles display and control room display and LCDs are in addition to the cinema room. Cleaning light engines is a major issue in India because the dust problem here is much more than in many Western countries. When dust settles on the engine it needs to be taken to the factory to be
cleaned. This involves money, time and documentation issues. We are in the process of setting up a clean room in this office so that we can offer this service locally. It would work out much cheaper and the turnaround time is much faster. Our sound technology is line array, where sound is not focussed in one direction but diffused to the distance it is required. The speaker covers maximum area.
Market for 4K in India The market for 4K in India is catching up. There are more movies coming up in 4K. Quite a few Hollywood movies are coming in 4K. Fast & Furious and Avengers for instance have wonderfully. In last five years, I have seen cinema owners, especially in Bangalore, are passionate about giving the best experience to their audience. They try to get the best equipment. So there is great potential.
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• BUSINESS TREND •
Bringing Best-in-Class Cinema Solutions Delivering visually spectacular and immersive entertainment solutions, Barco has been creating a one-of-a-kind moviegoing experience. TheatreWorld catches up with Mandar Gupte, Director Sales Entertainment Division, Barco India.
Bringing every part of the theatre to life by delivering visually spectacular and immersive entertainment, Barco has been creating a one-of-akind moviegoing experience. Present in India for almost two decades now, Barco is a dominant player in the visualisation space. Heading the Entertainment & Corporate business of Barco in India is Mandar Gupte, Director Sales, Barco India. Enriched with professional sales expertise of over 20 years, Mandar Gupte has always been focusing on premium products and solutions catering to very niche markets in media & entertainment and various other sectors. A total team player, who enthuses tremendous positivity among his team members, Mandar is a pure win-win guy, who likes to make his world of business ethical and successful.
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MANDAR GUPTE Director Sales - Entertainment Division Barco India
Excerpts from a rendezvous with Mandar Gupte: Tell us about Barco as a company, its genesis and evolution and also about Barco in India. Barco has always been a dominant player in the visualisation space and aspires to become a global leader in connected visualisation systems for professional applications. Through the offering of the best in class networked visualisation solutions, Barco will enable its customers to run their business in a more effective way. Barco has been present in India for almost two decades now, with a world-class factory in Noida and regional offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. What is the ratio of Barco's business in cinema and noncinema segments? The ratio of Cinema business would differ in different geographies, in India for e.g. Cinema contributes to approx. 35% of the overall
business.However we are yet to see deployments of Flagship Laser projectors, Escape cinema, Lobby domination etc. in India, which will further increase the Cinema share in the near future. In the recent times, many projection companies have started offering sound solutions to cinemas. Tell us more about this trend in general. Barco getting into immersive sound was a reaction to feedback from the marketplace in 2010 about what needs to be improved now that digital projection is making great strides in exhibition technology. Improvement of theatrical sound was the most mentioned technology in need of improvement. How is Barco Auro 3D doing? What is the current screen count in India and world? We have over 550 screens installed or committed around the world. Our current screen count in India is 40.
• BUSINESS TREND • We have released over 130 titles in Auro 11.1 by Barco and our next releases include such blockbusters as The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2, In the Heart of the Sea and Kung FuPanda 3. Was Barco's decision of getting into sound business based on the downturn impact or your realisation of drifting away from core competence? How did this realization happen -- through market watch or a timely survey? We certainly don't see it this way. Improving the state of art of motion picture exhibition technology is at the core of what we do at Barco. Immersive Sound is certainly one tangible way to make cinema-going experience something special and different from staying at home. Making such solutions available to engage audiences in a meaningful way and also making such technologies economical for today's exhibition business drives all innovations that we do, including the new laser-based projection platforms we have deployed world over this year. How would you describe your growth pattern in sound business? To what extent have you been successful? Barco is driving toward adopting a SMPTE standard for the authoring and distribution of immersive sound. Having this deliverable will certainly allow market adoption for immersive sound to reach the next level. This is our core focus for the coming months as we work with the rest of the industry in implementing such standards. Where do you see the industry heading in the next 5 - 10 years? Once standards are achieved in immersive sound, there may be a time when 5.1 (as we know it) becomes obsolete. However the adoption of these standards not just in cinema but the rest of the downstream deliverables and value chain will determine how fast and
how widely new standards are adopted and implemented. We may see a time when all theatres are "immersive"‌ Time will tell. Do you attribute Barco's growth in digital cinema to the UScentric factors like better business model and compelling technology or a major drive from Barco itself? Cinema industry in India is unique in many ways and has a lot of local flavour, unlike elsewhere in the world. Although Hollywood is important; Bollywood and regional content run the show here. India is an important market for Barco and over the last 7 years, we have strived hard along with our cinema deployment partners to maintain a leading market share for digital cinema installations in the region. Barco is primarily an equipment manufacturer. Does it contemplate working with integration companies to push its systems, just like what is happening internationally? Yes definitely, we work very closely with our system integration partners in the respective regions. Barco prefers to focus on its core competence of being a manufacturer of state-of-the-art digital cinema solutions. Our partners/integrators add additional value to the offering and bring it to the end customer. The 2K is making a mark in India. On the other hand, some operators are still not convinced about 4K. What's Barco's strategy, given this scenario? While agreeing that 2K is getting installed more and more, we have quite a lot of 4K projectors installed already. We can see more 4K installs in the near future since 4K would get more affordable in the lamp-based models and also with the penetration of Flagship RGBLaser which is also 4k resolution. Barco's latest offering Laser Projectors and Escape is being
widely talked about. When do we see the debut in India? Our latest offering like Laser and Escape have generated a lot of interest amongst the leading cinemachains in India & we are confident that we can see laser projectors getting installed in India early 2016 and Barco Escape as well during the course of 2016. Compared to 2K and 4K projectors, how costly is laser if shipped to India in current scenario. The commercials involved with laser projectors are different since operating cost reduces drastically. The new flagship lasers are known for enhancing the customer experience and reducing the total cost of ownership. Theirextremely reliable laser lifetime & major reduction in power consumption make the commercials very attractive. We are working with our partners for a commercial positioning for the same. India is the only country which still operates E-cinema. Looking at Indian market, there are only two major leaders in digital cinema projectors. Do you find a need for both to come to a common point to make India 100% digital? With the availability of the S2K, the entry-level DC projector has become more affordable. The leaders in the DC segment have this product available in their product portfolio and E-Cinema is getting converted to D-Cinema in a phased manner in their own way. Tell us more about your authorized dealer, distributors and service centres. Barco is present in all the major Metros in India. Barco's authorised partner is also equipped with service centre and facilities with Barcocertified engineers to cover the entire geographical area in India.
November-December 2015
TM-37