PV Sunil bagged the CEO of the Year Award at the 5th Kerala State Business Excellence Awards 2016
PV Sunil, CEO & Director, Carnival Cinemas, was honored with the CEO of the Year Award at the 5th edition of Cochin Herald Kerala State Business Excellence Awards (KSBEA) at Hotel Crowne Plaza in Kochi recently. The award was presented by HE Hamdan Mohamad Al Murshidi, President, Arabian Business Club and MG Rajamanickam, District Collector, Ernakulam. The awards were given to recognize individuals who were outstanding in the field of business with their leadership qualities and also those who made great breakthroughs in their respective field.
"We've always said India is potentially a huge opportunity for us," said IMAX CEO, Richard L Gelfond. "Now is the time to grow in this strategically important market and this deal serves as an important first step. We believe that INOX adding IMAX theatres to its most successful complexes - which are situated in top-tier cities - will help us expand our network in India at a more rapid pace." "We have built our business on our commitment to create a premium customer experience and we view our partnership with IMAX as an extension of this strategy," said Alok Tandon, CEO, INOX Leisure Ltd. "By associating ourselves with the IMAX brand and offering our guests a completely immersive cinema experience, we will continue to strengthen our position. We are particularly excited about shaping the future of cinema in India through such initiatives."
Barco Appoints Rajiv Bhalla as Managing Director for India
IMAX Signs Largest Deal in India with INOX Leisure IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and INOX Leisure Limited (INOX), one of the largest exhibition chains in India, announced an agreement for five IMAX theatres. The theatres will be added to existing INOX multiplexes in the cities of Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata. The agreement represents the largest theatre deal for IMAX in India and brings the total number of IMAX theatres in the country to 20, with nine currently open and 11 contracted to open.
Thomson Consumer Electronics, Microsoft, NEC and Intel & has a deep understanding of the B2B and B2C aspects of the business. Rajiv will help formulate and execute business strategy with the goal of tapping into India's enormous potential and expand Barco's local business presence. He will also be the legal representative of Barco India, fulfilling all legal, regulatory and statutory obligations ensuring compliance with local legal, safety, environmental regulations as well as company directives and guidelines. "India is at an exciting inflection point for accelerated growth led by the government's focus on Smart Cities, Digital India & Make in India. I am excited at the opportunity to leverage Barco's heritage of technical and operational excellence to accelerate a new era of growth and innovation" Rajiv Bhalla said.
Disney India Pulls Off a Hat-trick Disney India makes it big yet again with three releases in less than a month with The Jungle Book and then Baaghi, followed by Captain America Civil War. The Jungle Book collections have surpassed even the greatest of expectations. Baaghi has been a landmark achievement for the cast and crew. Captain America... which released recently, is all set to be another record breaker of the year.
Barco, a global leader in visualization technology, has announced the appointment of Rajiv Bhalla as managing director for India. Armed with a BE(Electronics) degree and MBA, Rajiv is an industry veteran, with more than 22 years of senior leadership experience in technology organizations like June-August 2016
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Paytm & PVR Form Strategic On-Line Movie Ticketing Relationship PVR cinemas, the nation's leading destination for all things movies, and Paytm, India's largest mobile payments and commerce platform, announced a new strategic relationship that will bring PVR's movie tickets to Paytm's e-commerce platform as a part of its nationwide foray in the on-line movie ticket segment. In the first year of this relationship, PVR targets to sell tickets worth Rs 2.5-3 billion on Paytm's ecommerce platforms besides selling tickets from the box offices and other channels. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd. said, "In our never-ending passion to provide convenience to our esteemed patrons, we have partnered with Paytm as our e-ticketing channel partner. Reaching over 500 screens brings further responsibilities to provide a seamless movie watching experience. With Paytm, we envision to touch millions of new movie goers who may now experience the joy of watching films at a PVR Cinema near them. This is another initiative to augment the box office revenues by reaching out to more consumers and achieving better penetration into micro markets. To sum up, this association is a sure delight not only for us but for our patrons, film distributors and producers alike!" Paytm is aggressively extending its presence in new verticals as a part of its strategy to be ubiquitous in daily life of its customers. Considering the current size of movie ticketing market in India, worth USD 2 billion and growing 10 per cent annually, the on-line movie ticketing market is only 15 per cent of the total domestic market. Paytm has set aggressive targets for itself and intends to double the share of on-line movie ticketing market in quick time. With over 125 million registered users and 90 million orders per month, Paytm is the perfect e-commerce platform to reach out to the growing movie aficionados of the country. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO,
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Paytm said, "Launch of movie tickets on Paytm is in line with our overall strategy of bringing more and more payment use cases online. Today online platforms penalise customers for paying in advance digitally as they are asked to pay a fees and surcharge. We will eradicate this practice and also enable customers to purchase popcorn and other confectionaries online thereby reducing queues as well." He added, "We plan to launch movies with upto 100% and other weekday special promotions to encourage users to try booking movies on the Paytm app. We have a collaborative approach with cinemas and other brands and aim to offer consumers incentives to drive the currently low online penetration from less than 15% to more than 50% in the next 3 years. We have budgeted 120 crore this year alone for this." Starting this month, PVR tickets and F&B products will be sold and marketed on Paytm portal's web, mobile apps and other affiliate channels. The significant consumer shift over the past few years towards online and mobile sales, with a strong CRM backbone allows better segmentation and analysis in marketing relevant content to users. For PVR, this shift also helps in reducing the burden at the box office by reducing costs and making up for the lack of customer data thereby helping in predictive modeling. Kamal Gianchandani, Chief of Strategy, PVR Ltd added "We want to super serve moviegoers anytime and anyplace with engaging movie information, offers and other features, so it was natural for us to team up with Paytm, whose mobile
wallet and e-commerce services are enjoyed by millions and is a great distribution platform for PVR’s movie tickets and F&B offerings. Paytm's insights into moviegoer behavior will be a key piece of movie audience data that will be added to our growing data and targeting capabilities platform, as we look to better serve our audiences with timely, targeted and relevant content and messaging."
PVR to Provide High Speed WiFi at its Cinemas PVR Limited, which is revolutionizing cinema going experience around the country today, announced its Wi-Fi offerings at some of the most prominent PVR cinemas. This will allow PVR to offer its guests free WiFi at various locations, while improving guest engagement and satisfaction. PVR has selected O-Zone Networks Ltd, a leading public Wi-Fi service provider in India, for offering the services at cinemas. "At PVR, we believe in reaching out to our guests in a way that makes their each visit to our cinemas a memorable one. There is a growing demand for technology and need for staying connected amongst our guests, all over the country. Our response to this demand and efforts are manifest with the introduction of Wi-Fi services at select cinemas of our chain. The service will soon be expanded to our other cinemas. With the launch of Wi-Fi services, we hope it will further consolidate our position as pioneers in the cinema going space", said Kamal Gianchandani, Chief of Strategy, PVR Limited. Adding to it, Sanjeev Sarin, the Founder and CEO of Ozone Networks Ltd, said, "We are proud to be chosen by PVR to help bring advanced guest Wi-Fi services to their customers. Our unique offering will give PVR new and powerful ways to connect with their customers" He further added,
"Our aim is to build the largest Wi-Fi network in India by 2016 and our partnership with PVR is an important step in this journey. With 6,000 hotspots in the country today, we aspire for a connected world and through this partnership we will not only provide high speed but also a secure internet connection, which can be availed during the wait time for the movies. We are confident that cinema goers will enjoy all time connectivity at cinemas now."
Cinepolis to Adopt 2 Brand Strategies in India CinĂŠpolis India will become the first cinema exhibitor in India to operate two brands simultaneously Cinepolis and Fun Cinemas. The company, which entered India in 2009, will continue to operate its multiplex business under the Cinepolis brand, and will keep the single screen business under the Fun Cinemas brand. Furthering this strategy, the fourthlargest cinema exhibitor in the country has entered into a strategic alliance with Rathi Group of Cinemas for operation of 10 single screen theatres. These theatres span across eight cities in MP and Maharashtra, namely Nagpur, Raipur, Bhilai, Durg, Akola, Yavatmal, Paratwada and Amravati. With this alliance, CinĂŠpolis' screen count in India has increased to 236. Cinepolis bought out Shubhash Chandra-promoted Fun Cinemas in 2014, acquiring control of 83 screens for an estimated 480 crore. While it
will bring some of the Fun properties under Cinepolis brand, many of the existing properties, especially the single screens, will continue to operate under the Fun Cinemas brand. New acquisitions in the single screen space will be folded into the Fun brand, as is the case with Rathi screens. As part of the deal, Cinepolis will invest in refurbishing and rebranding the properties and the two parties will share the revenues from the various streams - box office, food and beverage, parking and cinema advertising. The ratio of revenue share has not been revealed, but Akshaye Rathi, Director, Rathi Group of Cinemas, assures that the terms of the deal keep the interests of both parties safe. "For us, it is a big opportunity for growth. Having a brand like Fun Cinemas to associate with and the scale that Cinepolis brings with it means standardisation of operations for us. It will help us get better deals in cinema advertising, F&B and overall upgrade the properties," says Rathi. Traditionally, Cinepolis likes to have mega-plexes under its fold in order to provide the complete cinema going experience with entertainment zones and food courts. Sotomayor has said in the past that the company prefers to have at least four screens under one property. However, given the lull in real estate development and a saturation in consolidation of multiplexes at the national level, inorganic expansion will have to come either by acquisition of single screens or regional multiplex chains.
CCI Clears PVRDT Deal with Riders The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has permitted PVR to acquire the DLF group's multiplex arm, DT Cinemas, provided it fulfills certain conditions. The deal, if executed, will strengthen PVR's leadership position in the segment.
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Last June, PVR had announced the acquisition of DT Cinemas for 500 crore after aborting a similar deal in February 2010. DT Cinemas operates 39 screens in the Delhi-NCR region and CCI has allowed PVR to take possession of 32 screens only because it found the proposed entity could be a dominant player in Noida, Gurgaon and South Delhi. PVR has agreed to not acquire any new screens for three years in Noida, as well as Gurgaon, and for five years in South Delhi. After merger, PVR's presence will increase to 141 locations with 551 screens in 46 cities across India. The largest multiplex operator in India now has 519 screens in 133 locations. PVR will be able to add 7,939 of DT Cinemas' seats, taking its tally to 126,672. Its closest competitor INOX operates over 420 screens, followed by Mumbai-headquartered Carnival Films with 330 screens. The latest deal in the movie screening industry reflects the trend of inorganic growth among multiplex operators. Carnival Films, a minor player in the industry till 2013, increased its screen presence by 254 when it acquired Big Cinemas last year and effectively became the third largest player in the market. As part of the deal, DT Cinemas has been asked by the CCI to sell the other seven screens in South Delhi to any competitor other than PVR. DT Cinemas can also keep on operating the single screen DT Savitri in Greater Kailash-II and a multiplex in Saket that has six screens for five years, the CCI said. As a result, the deal size is likely to decrease by 50-60 crore.
PVR has also been asked to terminate agreements to develop multi-screen multiplexes with Garden Galleria Mall and Airia Mall, being constructed in Noida and Gurgaon, respectively.
Uttarakhand has a New Miniplex The Land of Gods has a new miniplex now as KSS Miniplex, a whollyowned subsidiary of KSS Limited, launched one in Rudrapur. This is their second property in Uttarakhand and 10th in the country. It's a twoscreen miniplex with state-of-the-art facilities including video auditoriums and sound systems. The miniplex features audio-visual content in full HD, powered by 3D compatible technology and ultra-modern digital sound. KSS aims to establish more than 500 such cinemas in India.
UFO Launches Nova Cinemas UFO Moviez, India’s largest digital cinema distribution network and incinema advertising platform in terms of number of screens, has recently launched a franchise brand called Nova Cinemas under its subsidiary Valuable Digital Screens Private Limited (VDSPL). Nova Cinemas is an asset-light franchisee model that aims to offer an infrastructural boost to the Indian film industry, an exciting opportunity to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to get into movie-exhibition services and a better cinematic experience for the local cine-goers. The concept of NOVA emerged from the fact that India has one of the lowest screen counts in the world. With 9500 screens serving a population of more than 1.2 billion which amounts to only 8 screens per million heads as compared to 117 screens per million in USA and 30 screens per million in China. With growth in rural incomes and fast paced urbanization, there is a definite set of potential customers waiting for newer experience, translating into better exhibition-business prospect.
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SRS Launches ‘Online Class’ Initiative SRS Cinemas, one of the largest and burgeoning cinema chains of the country, launched the first-of-its-kind ‘Online Class’- an initiative exclusively designed for the convenience of modern buyers who purchase movie tickets online.This creative initiative not only offersa seamless buying experience to customers but also gives them a bright chance to save 33% on each ticket that they book online, directly on SRS Cinemas website. This unique initiative will empower customers to search and book tickets with an ease in the ‘online class’ as well as in other categories. Moreover, it will offer lesser rates and assist people to save on money. Excited about the initiative, Sunil Jindal, Managing Director at SRS Group said, ”As recent as a few years, innovation in technology has drastically introduced a paradigm shift in the buying process. Today, a modern buyer is more inclined towards making a purchase online instead of visiting a physical store. Taking cognizance of this, we have introduced the online ticket booking service to meet and exceed the expectations of such buyers”. He further added “At present, more than 30 per cent of buyers are increasingly embracing the concept of online booking. Our aim is to encourage the remaining 70 per cent buyers to adopt the digital route that can help them save more money and time”. Tinku Singh, Group President & Chief Strategy Officer - SRS Group added, ”We are delighted to unveil this significant initiative. It will give our buyers an advantage of choosing the seats from the online class as well as other categories, which is generally not available for people who buy tickets from the box- office”. He further added “This thoughtful initiative will offer tickets to online buyers on lesser rates alongside, will help us fuel our business growth and success at a rapid pace”.
Galalite Screens Rolls Out Digital Perforation Pattern Galalite Screens has rolled out its latest technology- the Micro 4K Perforation Pattern. This new screen technology has been developed to enhance overall picture quality, and is expected to slowly replace current screen technology. With the introduction of this new perforation pattern, cinemas will now be able to use 4K resolution, which uses about 4000 pixels for horizontal resolution. This will ultimately provide a better cinema viewing experience. Talking about its newest technology, Galalite Screens’ Director of Operations - Yusuf Galabhaiwala said, “The 4K Perforation Pattern has been developed with the same openness as standard perforation, but the main difference is that it has over 1,85,000 holes per square meter.” In comparison to standard perforation, this increases light reflectance, thus ensuring a brighter and more improved viewing experience in cinemas. Galabhaiwala also explained that in addition to increased number of holes, the holes proportionately smaller in size, which allows for a closer viewing experience, without visible seams cropping up to disturb the picture. Galalite Screens’ 4KPerforation Pattern has been introduced with a view to eliminating what is known as the Moiré effect. This is a type of fringing that occurs when a screen’s weaving pattern aligns and interferes with the pixilated images of a projector, ultimately causing a strobe-like effect on the screen that hampers cinema viewing. Digital Perforation – the company’s latest innovation in screen technology – will help combat this effect and enhance cinema viewing in the future.
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PVR Superplex
The Magnum Opus PVR now ventures into the next level of cinema viewing by offering a vast spectrum of international formats including IMAX, 4 DX, Atmos, Gold Class and Playhouse – all under one roof for the very first time in India. The mega cinema concept "PVR Superplex" launched at Logix City Center, Noida is a well-planned one-stop destination that will provide a holistic, spectacular family entertainment package. TM-10
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Soon after reaching the 500 screens threshold, PVR is all set to offer a host of international formats including IMAX, 4 DX, Atmos, Gold Class and Playhouse – all under one roof for the very first time in India. PVR now launches the mega cinema concept called "PVR Superplex" at Logix City Center, Noida.
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Superplex is the most sophisticated and well-planned one-stop destination that will providea holistic, spectacular family entertainment package. This also marks the launch of the first IMAX in North India. It's India's first 15 screens cinema offering cherry picked cinema format from across the world under one roof. The supreme multiplex offers multiple zones and multiple experiences. Some of the formats are being introduced for the first time in PVR Cinemas. Besides offering the mainstream cinema, PVR is also offering world's most revolutionary cinematic technology including IMAX and 4DX. It is also introducing the Playhouse, a dedicated theatre for the younger patrons and the Gold Class continues for the luxurious experience. The brand new Superplex of PVR will be the most stylish cinema of North
India. At the Superplex launch on Sunday 27th March, 2016, Bollywood stars, industry leaders, movers and shakers from the world of business, finance, arts and entertainment made their dazzling presence felt at one of the year's most glittering events. India's consummate 'Action
Man' John Abraham launched the 4DX -- a perfect format for action movies from a star who has acted in stellar action hits like Madras Café, and Force.The launch also saw the cast of the uproarious comedy drama 'Ki and Ka' present to participate in the celebrations. The film stars Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and the director of the movie, R. Balki, ('Cheeni Kum', 'Paa') inaugurated the Gold Class auditoriums, the biggest Gold Class in Nnorth India. Among the most striking auditoriums at Superplex, is the one specially designed for kids – the aptly named Playhouse. Mascots from the smash hit kid's movie 'Kungfu Panda 3' made their boisterous, energetic presence at an auditorium that has, among other things, slides for children to whizz along and neverseen- before seating arrangements. Speaking at the launch, Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director,
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• INDIA PLEXING • PVR Ltd, said, "It is a proud moment for all of us present today at the launch of Superplex. This is the 2.0 version of cinema exhibition industry. With 5 superb formats all at one stop; there is never a dull moment at Superplex. We are excited to give our patrons the most sophisticated movie viewing experience through international formats, most advanced technology and PVR's hospitality all under one roof." Considering India as a heterogeneous market, PVR has time and again come up with novel, international concepts for Indian audiences. With a vast spectrum of cinema formats like PVR Heritage, PVR Premier, PVR IMAX, PVR Director's Cut, PVR Gold Class, PVR Premiere and PVR Icon, PVR now ventures into the next level of cinema viewing, clubbing all the formats with the Superplex. The Superplex would cater to an audience of 1,544 across its 15 screens that include three Gold Class, one IMAX screen, one 4 DX screen, nine mainstreams (two screens with DolbyAtmos) and one dedicated screen with special seating arrangements for kids- Playhouse. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd, added "Superplex is the perfect solution to 'will I get a ticket' syndrome. 15 screens will give our patrons maximum movies, more show options and longer running
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duration; which means a chance to catch up on movies which were released earlier. All of this is at a great location- Logix City Centerwhich is a retail paradise of international brands and luxury, all of which that perfectly complements our brand.
We are pleased that Logix Group has shown faith in PVR, and we promise to provide the best of all world formats with best-in-class infrastructure, unmatched technology and luxurious cinematic experience to our consumers." On the launch, Mr Shakti Nath,
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Chairman and Managing Director, Logix Group, said, "Logix Group is proud to announce the launch of Logix City Center along with the unveiling of PVR Superplex. Spread over 6 acres, City Center has been designed to become India's premier shopping and entertainment hub and a destination in itself, housing the best of national & international retail brands, F&B outlets and movie experience making Noida the newest entertainment capital of the country."
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Constructed by Logix Group with a whopping cost of Rs1000 crore, City Center is a mixed use development spread in an area of 25,000 sq.meters with an exclusive shopping & entertainment area, 5 star deluxe hotel by Westin, offices and serviced apartments. Situated in the heart of Noida at Sector 32, it is one of the most prominently located commercial developments in the NCR owing to its easy accessibility via road
& metro. It is a one- stop destination for customers catering to their everyday as well as lifestyle needs. Besides being the host to one the most captivating movie experiences in India, it also has the largest HyperCity in North India, premium department stores by Shoppers Stop and Pantaloons as well as affordable fashion by MAX & Reliance Trends. The Gaming Vegas, a unique amalgamation of diverse offerings from kids soft play area to bowling alleys, redemption games, PS3/PS4 consoles etc. is a high activity recreational zone that would also double up as a pulsating party avenue, creating a major attraction for kids & youth alike. The 5th Avenue on the terrace level would be an oasis of greenery, offering a fresh & lively al fresco dining experience, with an array of experiential F&B concepts, providing a gastronomic extravaganza amidst panoramic views of lush green landscapes and water bodies. Accented with fantastic flavors and warm hospitality, it would be home to some of the best fine dining restaurants, café, bars, lounges and clubs. With its energy efficient design and professionally managed services, Logix City Center is all set to create new benchmarks in shopping and entertainment experiences and become the most popular neighborhood destination in Delhi / NCR.
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Cinépolis Launches
Lucknow's 1st International Multiplex Cinépolis launched its first International 8-screen multiplex in the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. Located at One Awadh Center, Gomtinagar, the multiplex has 8 screens with 100% digital projection and 1539 seats.
Cinépolis, India's 1st international and world's 4th largest movie theatre circuit, inaugurated its first International 8 Screen Multiplex in the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. With the launch of this multiplex, Cinépolis will complete 226 screens in the country. Cinépolis targets to reach a mark of 400 screens in India by the end of 2017. Strategically located at One Awadh Center, Vibhuti Khand, Gomtinagar, the multiplex has 8 screens with 100% digital projection and 1539 seats. Cinépolis One Awadh Centre has RealD 3D technology from global visual technology company RealD Inc. Capable of delivering twice the luminosity of competing 3D technologies, RealD 3D enables cinemas to provide an immersive and enthralling 3D movie experience. Not only this, adding to the cinema watching experience, Cinépolis has also introduced a Gourmet Coffee Shop - Coffee Tree at the multiplex. Another reason for movie lovers to come to Cinépolis is to enjoy its largest legroom and crunchiest popcorns to satisfy the refreshment needs during the intervals.
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Commenting on the launch Javier Sotomayor, Managing Director, Cinépolis India said, "We are committed to the ambitious expansion plans for Cinépolis in India. The new property at Lucknow is in line with our target of reaching a total screen count of 400 by 2017. We want to take the superlative cinematic experience that Cinépolis offers across the length and breadth of India and enable more and more viewers to heighten the pleasure they take in this form of entertainment. " Ashish Shukla, Director - Expansion Cinépolis India said, "Lucknow is major market for the movie industry and especially for Cinépolis. Strategically located at One Awadh Center, we aim to provide the best cinema experience to the citizen of Lucknow. Cinépolis One Awadh Center is the biggest multiplex in the city having eight screens with 1539 seats. Technologically advanced cinema with stadium-style seating, 100% digital projection, large screen size and gourmet food at Coffee Tree, will ensure Cinépolis One Awadh Center to become the destination cinema of Lucknow."
Devang Sampat, Business Head Strategy, Cinépolis India mentioned, "At Cinépolis, our constant endeavour 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. We are introducing the world best 3D technology Real D for the first time in the city. The immersive and enthralling 3D movie experience at Cinépolis will certainly make Cinépolis One Awadh Center as the destination to watch 3D movies in Lucknow. Cinépolis is also launching Club Cinépolis, the company's flagship loyalty program that would further enhance customer experience." US Halwasiya, Chairman - Halwasiya Group said "We are excited to partner with an International Multiplex brand as respected as Cinépolis. Located in Gomti Nagar, we offer most advanced cinema-watching experience and variety of Food & Beverage options to the patrons. This is surely the best place to watch movies in the city and we are expecting heavy footfall and look forward to the long-term patronage of Lucknow residents."
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Miraj Cinemas
Spreading its Wings Pan India Miraj Cinemas, an entertainment arm of Miraj Group, is targeting at the landmark 300 screens by 2018. The company aims to expand its presence pan India with strong participation in film production and screening. The company, which started its debut with Queens - The Destiny of Dance, is now a multimodal production house for upcoming films in Bollywood. Recently, Miraj inaugurated its 60th screen at Miraj Shiv Mall at Surendra Nagar in Gujarat. The multi-screen property of Miraj Cinemas in Miraj Shiv Mall boasts of 2 screens with 255 seats (170 degree plush recliners) in addition to the 2K visual technology with 3D. With about 60 screens across the country, Miraj has intensified its focus in the western states like Gujarat and Maharashtra and is aggressively expanding its screen presence. Equipped with latest technology, Miraj has tapped Surendra Nagar location. The surroundings is one of the major plus points to gear up the beginning of Miraj Cinemas in Saurashtra and Kutch region of Gujarat, with a few more upcoming locations in pipeline. According to Amit Sharma, Managing Director, Miraj Cinemas, "We are happy to mark our presence with the 60th screens here in Surendra Nagar. In next one year, we are also planning to
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spread our wings to 4-5 key areas in the state of Gujarat. In our Shiv Mall property, we have included all the latest audio-visual technology keeping in mind that people from smaller cities/ towns should enjoy seamless movie viewing experience like any metro city multiplex." Commenting on the brand
With the launch of its 60th screen at Miraj Shiv Mall in Surendra Nagar, Gujarat, Miraj Cinemas, an entertainment arm of Miraj Group, is targeting at the landmark 300 screens by 2018.
strategy, he added "We want our presence in every nook and cranny, so that the brand retains its pan-India flavour." Miraj Cinemas aims to provide quality movie watching experience to its patrons and is focusing at a nationwide presence. In Phase 1, Miraj will be
• INDIA PLEXING • operating 100 screens pan Indian by end of calendar year 2016, with 300 screens in two years and 500 screens in next three years organically and inorganically. Miraj endeavours to penetrate majorly in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and wants to create a strong foothold in north India. According to Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, Vice President, Operations, Miraj Cinemas, "We have invested nearly Rs 75 crores over past few years pan India and will go all out to enhance our presence massively in Gujarat besides our existing property in Ahmedabad, Gandhidham and Adipur." In March, Miraj opened its 58th screen at Miraj Madhuban at Gandhidham, Gujarat for the public. This multiscreen property of Miraj Cinemas in Gandhidham boasts of 3 screens with 781 seats (170 degree plush recliners) in addition to the 2K visual technology. Equipped with latest technology, Miraj has tapped Gandhidham location as it is densely populated with cosmopolitan culture and very well connected with rest of the cities.
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Effectron Luminex
Pioneers in Dimming System Having a vast experience in stage and studio engineering since 1988, Effectron Luminex Ltd, belonging to the renowned Darbari Group, is a name to be reckoned with. Today, the company's branded dimmers set the standard for the cinema industry. Lighting is to cinema hall what oxygen is to life! Whether is the appearance of the space and luminaries or the light distribution on surface, lighting has a central role to play in cinema exhibition. Although the visitors may not be able to exactly pinpoint what makes the lobbies, entrances, concession stands and auditoria appear the way they do, one can easily experience the impact lighting has on the aura and ambience of the space. Talking of stage and studio engineering, there's one name to be reckoned with in the industry - Effectron Luminex Ltd - the DARBARI brand.
Effectron Luminex - Seasoned Players in the Industry Being a part of the Darbari Group, which has well over 40 years of experience in TV Lighting, Effectron Luminex Ltd understands and appreciates the intricacies of stage and studio engineering like nobody does. An ISO 9001-2000 company involved in engineering design and execution of a large number of professional and semi-professional
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studios and auditoria, Effectron Luminex has wide-ranging clientele to its credit. From a Budget School to mega ones such as the Indian Parliament, Rashtrapati Bhavan, IGCIC Mauritius or Doordarshan Studio, they have accomplished a spectrum of projects. Understanding and absorption of latest technology and its application has made this
Gopal Darbari Managing Director Effectron Luminex Limited
possible for the company. Their association with the leading names in the industry -- be it Lighting / Acoustics / Sound / Video provides them a cutting edge over others.
• BUSINESS TRENDS • "We design dimming controls which provide right lighting at right time during the screening of films. Dimmers worked initially on command of a cue fixed to celluloid film to increase or decrease its intensity levels. No human interaction was needed so every time a film is screened lighting provided was perfect," says Gopal Darbari, Managing Director, Effectron Luminex Limited. The company is concerned not just with the functionality and the use of the project under implementation but also its maintenance and subsequent recurring cost plays an equally important design parameter. In order to provide five-star services to cinema industry, Effectron has transferred its Cinema Dimmer manufacturing, supply and service, on pan India basis, to its sister firms Darbari Industries, Allahabad and TECHNOZENITH, New Delhi, yet retaining designing aspect with it. Safety of the equipment and people around being one of the primary concerns of lighting industry in cinema, special focus is laid on this aspect starting from the drawing board to after sales support.
Dimming System for Cinema "Our current models include cue controls from classical stickers to programmable cue in server based projectors. Dimmers are universal which can dim any of the following lamps; in any combinations using dimmable drivers: Incandescent /Halogen, CFL / Fluorescent lamp, LED down lighters/wall bracket or colour mixing RGB Chinese strip light. With manual touch buttons on panel, lights in public area are also controlled including decorative lighting," explains Gopal. One of Effectron's long-standing associations has been with PVR Group since 1997, when PVR opened its door in India at Anupam cinema, New Delhi. Darbari group has been part of PVR's 501-screen journey, and are looking forward to achieving 1000-mark in 2018. Their dimmer supplied in 1997 is still working in Anupam without any major service call! The Light Control Dimmers are very sturdily built which does not require even switching off at end of last show. In fact, Darbari group's journey with PVR Anupam began much before the doors opened for public in 1997. Making of specialised dimming system for cinema was new to them. Back then, all projectors used discharge projection lamps which were bad for electronic controls. Darbari Group developed electronics which withstood the discharge lamp noise and dimmers worked without any problem. As technology developed for projection and film, Cue were generated electronically, their Dimmers were so adopted and were made compatible to enhancement of technology.
Digital projection changed completely the way cinema functioned. No more celluloid films, which required movement of bulky film cassettes; it was time to go to Server, Wireless and Internet. Films are downloaded into server and Cue is programmed into server. Darbari Group's R&D adapted to the change and produced dimmers to suit the server - Qube, Doremi, GDC etc. were made compatible. Today, all Darbari Group dimmers are made for most of the type of server used in cinema industry.
Associated with Industry Majors The audi ceiling lighting and decorative lighting, changed to LEDs with adoption of LED down lighters, is throwing a new challenge. Darbari Group R&D made requisite changes in dimmer electronics so that dimmable LED lamps could be dimmed without flicker. Darbari branded dimmers are the standards for cinema industry and PVR provided them the right platform to prove their technology adoption capabilities. The company has been consistently adopting new dimmer technology, so the dimmers once installed needs no further attention. "Currently we are lighting control suppliers to major groups like PVR, DT, INOX, Satyam, Cinepolis, Carnival, DT Cinemas, M2K, City Pride, Satyham, Gopalan, BMG, Suncity and many more. Many more groups like MOVIE TIME are in the pipeline to join. Our products are so reliable that they work day-in-day out without any maintenance," says Gopal Darbari.