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UFO Moviez Invests 200 Crore in Scrabble Entertainment’s Expansion UFO Moviez, the world’s largest satellite delivered digital cinema network, promoted by the Valuable Group, has committed an investment of 200 crore to fuel the growth and expansion plans in India of Scrabble Entertainment, in which UFO Moviez has recently acquired a controlling stake. The international rollout plans of Scrabble Entertainment will entail a capex of US$ 150 million to be funded by way of international debt and further equity infusion by UFO Moviez. Kapil Agarwal, Joint Managing Director, UFO Moviez, says, “The UFO-Scrabble combine is the only alliance in the world that offers non DCI satellite based digital cinema solutions as well as DCI-compliant solutions with VPF (Virtual Print Fee) deals to the global and Indian film industry. By acquiring majority stake in Scrabble, UFO Moviez has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the Indian film industry ecosystem benefits from the resulting cost-efficiency and increased reach of content by taking Hollywood content to cinema lovers across ‘Bharat’ and beyond its metros. We shall ensure that this Indian combine started by first generation entrepreneurs now goes global.” Ranjit Thakur, CEO, Scrabble Entertainment, said, “Scrabble is happy to partner with UFO Moviez, an organisation that has changed the landscape of the film industry in India by offering innovative technology solutions for its betterment and growth. We look forward to ensuring that more and more audiences across India can now enjoy high quality films on a digital platform”. UFO Moviez India has recently acquired a majority stake of 52% in
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Scrabble Entertainment. Post this, Dr. Sunil Patil and Ranjit Thakur presently own 27% stake totally and the balance equity is held by Walkwater Media Ltd., owned by ManmohanShetty. Scrabble Entertainment, a Mumbai based first generation company promoted by Dr. Sunil Patil and Ranjit Thakur, is the only aggregator in India which has Virtual Print Fee (VPF) rights from Hollywood studios for providing DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) compliant solutions. Scrabble Entertainment has already signed VPF deals with Hollywood studios and is now ready to go global in 10 countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Bulgaria). It is also looking very enthusiastically at expanding its footprint in Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico). Scrabble expects to install around 2,000 screens internationally in the next two years, out of which deals for over 600 screens in the Middle East have already been finalized. In terms of the domestic market, the UFO-Scrabble combine will now increase the number of DCI compliant cinemas from 300 (that Scrabble has presently installed in around 30 major cities since its inception in 2007) to 800 (single screens as well as multiplexes) within six months. This will ensure that cinema viewers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India will now get a chance to watch Hollywood content because the six Hollywood studios only give content to DCI compliant platforms. The timing of UFO acquiring majority stake in Scrabble is significant because it is important for
the Indian film fraternity to make this transformation and transition to DCI compliance quickly, as the six Hollywood studios are likely to stop providing analogue prints over the next couple of years. The VPF model is important as it allows Scrabble to provide DCI solutions at a highly subsidized cost. Each DCI equipment installation requires an investment of around ‘ 30 lakh and Indian cinema owners, especially single screens find this cost to be prohibitive. The UFOScrabble alliance will provide DCI solutions by way of a unique business model that will result in cost-effectiveness and cost-efficiency for all the film industry constituents (exhibitors, distributors, etc).
PVR’s Q2 PAT up 47% to 143 Million PVR has reported profit after tax of 143 million ( 14.30 crore) in the quarter ended 30 September 2011, which is up 47 per cent as compared to 97.3 million ( 9.73 crore) in Q2, 2010-11. The consolidated revenues for Q2, 2011-12 were 1.39 billion ( 138.64 crore) as compared to 1.35 billion ( 135 crore) during Q2, 2010-11, up by 3 per cent. The exhibition business showed a stellar performance in Q2, 2011-12. The exhibition business revenues increased from 1.06 billion ( 106.19 crore) in Q2, 2010-11 to 1.28 billion ( 128.02 crore) in Q2, 2011-12, up by 21 per cent. EBITDA for Q2, 2011-12 was 284.2 million ( 28.42 crores) as compared to 222 million ( 22.19 crore) in Q2, 201011, up by 28 per cent. PAT for the exhibition business during Q2, 2011-12 was 122.7 million ( 12.27
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crore) as against 79.6 million ( 7.96 crore) during corresponding period of previous year, up by 54 per cent. The exhibition business has been able to demonstrate promising growth in revenues led by 23 per cent growth in footfalls. During the quarter the company had 7.1 million footfalls in its cinemas clocking an average occupancy of 36 per cent. Food and beverage revenues also grew by 25 per cent during the quarter under review. Advertising and sponsorship revenues have shown a stellar growth of 47 per cent over corresponding period of last year. PVR joint managing director Sanjeev Kumar said, “The revenues and profitability in Q2, 2011-12 has shown a robust growth over the corresponding period of previous year. The good results is a function of company’s long term location strategy to partner in best mall developments in the country, its unique design philosophy, strong customer focus and a unique brand positioning. This is demonstrated by the fact that PVR’s average revenue per screen across its cinema circuit is almost 30 per cent higher than our competition. Infact, in area of advertising and sponsorship revenue our total revenues for 2010-11 were more than the revenues of next 3 operators put together.The company is on a strong growth trajectory and is adding 57 new screens this fiscal.The company’s subsidiary PVR bluO is also setting up bowling centers across the country with 3 new centers with 74 lanes slated to open in current financial year.” During the quarter under review the company added 3 new multiplex properties with 16 screens at Udaipur, Surat and Delhi. It also opened its new flagship bowling centre with 26 lanes at Ambience Mall, VasantKunj.
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Datasat Announces Joint Venture in India Datasat Holdings has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement to form Datasat Communications Technologies India Private Limited (Datasat India). Datasat India will have its operational headquarters in Mumbai, where it will provide Datasat (formally DTS) film licensing services, cinema hardware equipment sales and servicing as well as roll out the next generation of wireless mesh technologies. ”We are very pleased to be setting up this business with Datasat,” stated Sanjay Patel, Director of Datasat India. “It is an opportunity to grow the business by better serving customers with in country support, as well as pioneer a breakthrough wireless technology that is particularly suited to delivering HD content without the usual glitches, buffering and stuttering. The joint venture will manage and support the three core Datasat product areas in India: Datasat Digital Entertainment’s film licensing services, digital cinema hardware and Datasat Technologies’ wireless products. ”This joint venture will open many new doors,” said Phil Emmel, owner of Datasat Holdings. “Sanjay and his team have many years of expertise in the film, video and technology sectors, adding greatly to the many benefits Datasat can offer to the region.” Datasat’s market leading sound quality for films will be promoted and supported by Datasat India. With the acquisition of DTS Digital Cinema and it’s technologies in May of 2008 Datasat and Datasat India will continue to provide superior digital and analogue soundtracks, subtitles and Access Services with the same Academy Award winning digital
sound technology for all cinema or cinema related releases under the Datasat brand. In addition to the film licensing services, Datasat India will uphold Datasat’s commitment to selling and supporting the range of high quality digital cinema products including the AP20 Audio Processor and XD20 Media Player. Both products are designed to enhance the cinema audio experience bringing unparalleled sound quality to the cinema. The wireless products from Datasat Technologies are the next generation of carrier and enterprise level Wi-Fi solutions, particularly suited to media applications. Utilizing 802.11n mesh standards, Datasat Technologies provides outdoor and indoor Wi-Fi network solutions bringing for the first time, true quality of service guarantees that enable consistent transmission of HD video, audio and data as well as delivering enterprise grade security.
Unisys Acquires Digital Rights for over 200 Movies Unisys Infosolutions, a leading 360 0 digital provider of VAS content and enterprise messaging solutions, announced acquisition of distribution rights for streaming of over 200 full-length movies on popular online movie hosting portals such as YoutubeBoxOffice and Yahoo! Movies. With this acquisition, the company became one of the largest independent premium video content distributors in India. The content has been made available via UnisysMusic, a division of Unisys Infosolutions, which already has over 30 lakh video views on its Youtube channel alone.
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Commenting on the announcement, Shelley Chaudhary, founder and Managing Director, Unisys Infosolutions said, “The everincreasing upload views and subscriber base on UnisysMusic is a testament of our commitment to blend in the very best of entertainment content with state-ofthe art video technology. The acquisition of over 200 movie rights is a step ahead in meeting the channel’s goal of offering unmatched premium content to our viewers. More than 100 of these fulllength videos will be available on YoutubeBoxOffice and Yahoo! Movies by month-end itself.” Sumeet Singh, co-founder & Executive Director, Unisys Infosolutions, said, “We are focusing on leveraging the digital medium for making entertainment widely available to increasingly internetsavvy audiences. Initially, we will also be making 100 of these movies available as short films for the benefit of those who do not have time to watch the full-length movie.” Unisys Infosolutions focuses on content acquisition, content distribution and managed services. The company also offers a vast selection of regional music video content over the internet including Haryanvi Hits, Sikh Ratnavali, Bhojpuri Hits, Rajasthani Hits, Oriya Hits and Divya devotional channel among others.
Cinemax Hosts the 13th MAMI Film Festival Cinemax, one of the leading multiplex chains in India was the multiplex partner for the second time with one of the most prestigious film festivals; Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI) in its 13 th year.
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The impressive line-up of about 200 films were screened at two major Cinemax properties Sion and Versova. Cinemax is a hub for movie enthusiasts and to ensure enhanced services, the complete schedule on online booking to festival was available on the cinemax home website. The exciting line-up of movies at the festival combined with the state-of-the-art facilities, hitechnology auditoriums, lighting and acoustic sound systems offered patrons a complete cinematic experience. The movies showcased were announced at the event by eminent film maker and chairman Shyam Benegal. The week long festival starting 13th October 2011 showcased world’s most popular contemporary movies across genres to culminate on 20th October 2011. The Brad Pitt starrer ‘Moneyball’ was the opening film and ‘Dolphin Tale’ the closing film at the festival. Commenting on the MAMI connection, Sunil Punjabi, CEO of Cinemax, stated, “Cinemax has always been at the forefront of promoting exciting cinema and we are proud to yet again bring to our patrons something unusual and offbeat from the regular Friday releases. Cinemax is the only multiplex to host such a varied range of film festivals right from the Marathi film festival to something avantgarde as the Queer Film Festival. This year we reached out to a larger audience using 7 screens to play the MAMI movies. Such initiatives reinforce our connect with our patrons and we are sure such festivalsare enjoyed by all.”
Reliance MediaWorks Introduces In-Cinema 3D Advertising Reliance MediaWorks, India’s fastest growing film and entertainment services company and a member of the Reliance group is now offering 3D Conversion services to Indian advertisers. The first advertisements to be converted into 3D by Reliance MediaWorks is for Reliance Netconnect’s ‘It’s Fast. Are You?‘ campaign, which includes 3 actionpacked films that feature a flaming car, an elephant chase and a charging train. The films were scripted and shot by Grey India keeping the 3D format in consideration and were screened across BIG Cinemas from August. Sanjay Behl, Group Head- Brand & Marketing, Reliance Communications said, “With our world-class network quality and wireless data penetration in over 1,000 towns, we are confident of delivering the fastest Wireless Broadband speed in the country, tested at levels of upto 28 mbps, powered by the superior MIMO Technology. The ad campaign demonstrates that Reliance Netconnect’s GSM and CDMA wireless data product range delivers the best broadband speeds in over 1,000 towns across the country, thereby resulting in a delightful customer experience” Reliance MediaWorks currently operates one of the largest Stereoscopic 2D to 3D Conversion services facilities in India at Navi Mumbai and has a dedicated team of 400 artists. The company has recently completed VFX and 3D Conversion work for the remake of Conan the Barbarian and has also provided 3D solutions for Avatar, Journey to the
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Centre of the Earth, U2, X Games 3D: The Movie and Step Up, among others. As per the PWC report, in 2010 the OOH industry grew by 12 per cent, that is, from INR 12.5 billion to INR 14.0 billion and in 2011 OOH media is expected to yield phenomenal growth due to increase in advertising growth. With the increased consumption of 3D films in the country, In-cinema 3D advertising has the potential to capture a significant share of the OOH pie in India. Commenting on the development, Anil Arjun, CEO of Reliance MediaWorks said, “There are over 230 3D cinema screens in India and they offer an engaged and seated audience with a leisure mindset. By using our hi-end 3D conversion services, advertisers can offer an immersive, fun and innovative experience to this captured audience, which will help strengthen the brand recall. With technology advancements in 3D televisions, in the near future we will also witness 3D advertising reaching home entertainment.”
strategy and growth through a customer centric retail approach across cinemas. Ashok would report in to Reliance MediaWorks CEO Anil Arjun. Prior to joining Big Cinemas, a division of Reliance MediaWorks, Ganapathy was associated with Spencer’s Retail and Unilever Group in India and Vietnam. He is an alumnus of IIT Chennai and IIM Ahmedabad. On this appointment Anil Arjun said, “We are blending a retail centric approach with cinema to bring an innovative evolution to movie going experience and Ashok’s experience and deep knowledge in retail and consumer operations would bring in a unique perspective on delivering strategic solutions to our consumers.” Big Cinemas has over 550 screens spread across India, the United States, Malaysia, Nepal and the Netherlands.
UFO Releases Ra.One in 1403 Digital Theatres
The company’s bouquet of 3D services includes stereoscopic 2D to 3D Conversion, 3D services for any type of 3D alignment issues, image and detail enhancements, grain and noise management and on-set consulting, DI grading for 3D, creation and handling of 3D DCPs and 3D camera services.
Big Cinemas Gets New CEO as Ashok Ganapathy Reliance ADA Group-owned Big Cinemas has appointed Ashok Ganapathy as the Chief Executive Officer of the leading cinema chain. Ganapathy will head the exhibition chain’s global business and will be responsible for the organisation’s
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network till date, Kapil Agarwal, Joint Managing Director, UFO Moviez India Limited, said. “Ra.One is expected to be a game changer. We’ve added nearly 183 theatres to our network (including 69 3D theatres) in the recent past and our steady expansion plans are intended to ensure that films can release to increasingly wider audiences with each passing day. UFO Moviez congratulates Shahrukh Khan, Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International on the release of this much anticipated film today.”
Bodyguard Released in Dolby 7.1 Bodyguard, starring Salman Khan, was released in Dolby Surround 7.1 in select cinemas across India. ”Sound is integral to experiencing Bodyguard,” said JitendraChaudhary, sound designer for Bodyguard. “Dolby Surround 7.1 gave us greater control over the definition and placement of sounds to achieve the exact vision we dreamed of.” Bodyguard is directed by Siddique and produced by AtulAgnihotri, AlviraAgnihotri, and Nikhil Namit. The film stars Salman Khan, Raj Babbar, and KareenaKapoor, and it features music by Himesh Reshammiya and Pritam Chakraborty.
India’s most expensive movie to date, Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Ra.One’ released in 1403 UFO digital theatres. Ra.One is a science fiction superhero film which is expected to break industry records and provide an impetus to 3D cinema in India. Commenting on Ra.One being the widest release on the UFO Moviez
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Bodyguard is the second Bollywood film to be released in Dolby Surround 7.1, following Ramesh Sippy Entertainment’s Dum Maaro Dum a few months ago. ”Dolby Surround 7.1 enables filmmakers to completely immerse audiences in the movie,” said PankajKedia, Country Manager, India, Dolby Laboratories. “We are committed to the Indian film community and are thrilled to collaborate on Bodyguard.”
Sholay to Re-release in 3D in 2012 Maya Digital Studios, producerdirector Ketan Mehta’s studio, is now slated to bring the acclaimed movie directed by Ramesh Sippy to theatres in 3D format early next year. Frank Foster, Senior Director and Chief Operating Officer, Maya Digital Studios, is helming the project and has been in India for over a year overseeing the movie’s conversion. “The democratisation of visual effects means that India has become the goto destination for all kinds of postproduction work,” he said. Foster, who founded and worked with Sony Pictures Imageworks, first met Mehta during the filming of the latter’s
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Maya Memsaab, starring Shah Rukh Khan and DeepaSahi, over 16 years ago. At that time, Foster recalls, there was no special effects-focussed company in the country. “Only a few ad films used effects to a certain extent. But the scope now is immense. Filmmakers like Steven Spielberg are looking at India to develop special effects,” he said. Last year, he came to Mumbai to take over the working of Maya Digital. Talking about Sholay 3D, Foster says that the entire film was a challenge for him and his team. “After getting the requisite permission from the Sippys, we realised what a task it was. When you convert a movie from 2D to 3D, the source material is the most important thing. Recreating a 35 year old movie that is not colourcorrected was a definite challenge,” Foster said. He also said that the film being over three hours long means that this is one of the biggest films to be converted in the world to 3D. “A normal Hollywood film contains about 2,000 shots but Sholay has almost 5,000 shots. We have worked hard on each of those 5,000-odd shots by identifying objects in these shots that need to be colourcorrected and enhanced for better visual appeal. There were between 100 to 2000 objects in each shot for
the team to work on. It was quite tough,” Foster recalled. The visual effects supervisor, however, is all praises for Ramesh Sippy and calls him India’s Orson Welles. “His movies are obviously inspired by Clint Eastwood’s Westerners. For him, Sholay was as much a labour of torture as it was a labour of love. You must give him credit for introducing stereo in Indian films and action stuntmen from the UK,” he said. For the 3D version, Foster said that his team has developed a proprietary conversion software on which almost 90 per cent of the film has been worked. The team also used Rotoscopy, a technique in which animators create a new trajectory over live action film frame by frame to a great extent. Essentially, this means positioning 40 to 50 dancers used in a Holi sequence in a way that the 3D effect blends in with the shot. To do this, each dancer and their movements have to be digitally-enhanced so that the transition to 3D looks smooth. Foster said that most of the 3D will be used in the action sequences. One computer-generated shot has also been introduced in the film. Early in the film, during the train sequence when both Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan are battling bandits, Dharmendra’s character Veeru throws a few coal chunks over barrels of oil that explode instantaneously. “In the CG shot, we have given the explosion red colour instead of the original black because Sholay in English means embers and we wanted to show that,” Foster said. According to him, many films can be remade for the younger audience but not Sholay. The memorable dialogues, unforgettable characters and the thrill of watching the now-deceased Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh are as relevant today as they were 35 years ago, he said.
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Alcons Brings Evolutionary Audio Solutions to India Alcons Audio, makers of high-end audio solutions, has opened a direct office presence in India, offering customers full factory support. The Dutch masters of sound will be operating out of Mumbai and Bangalore initially, with expansion planned to other cities in the near future. “Alcons is installing systems around the world and it was high time we entered an important market like India,” says co-founder and managing director Tom Back. “Having successfully established our American presence, India is the next step. It is a major growth market like Brazil, China, US and Europe and since we didn’t have a distribution presence here we have set up a direct office.” “A quality brand like Alcons requires direct factory support so that we can give reliable and sustainable technical advice and customer support,” adds AlconsAudio India MD John-Paul Douma. “It is a commitment to our brand and a statement of intentto India that we’re here and here to stay.” The new office is being run by sound professionals Dhaval Mastakar (sales
manager), Amesh Sharma (technical support manager) and Akshata Sirsikar head of marketing, who has extensive Indian music industry contacts. Since entering the high-end audio market in 2002 Alcons has won many admirers for its refreshingly different approach. With its proprietary proribbon* speaker technology, Alcons delivers high fidelity sound at high sound pressure, making the audio experience louder and clearer than any comparable system. The brand is acknowledged around the world by professional audiophiles as the ‘Rolls Royce of sound systems’, thanks to its eye for detail, well integrated DSP-driven speakers and amps, and an active R&D department that consistently applies innovative patents to creating different speakers and amplifiers for different environments. In India, Alconswill be pitching its ‘Evolutionary Audio Solutions’ primarily to the touring systems, installed sound and cinema market segments. Alcons’ range of line arrays for touring systems includes the new LR24,a flagship product due to be announced in the near future. This will completeAlcons’ size range of systems, being ideal for large concerts and events requiring professional sound systems. Alcons is also strong on installed sound systems in clubs, bars, hotels and places of worship, where the right musical ambiance is important. The company creates higher quality sound and musical clarity,thereby protecting customer comfort levels. “India has a rich cinema traditionand we have the optimal products for this,” says Tom Back. “Developments like 3D and Digital cinema have
enhanced the cinematic experience and Alcons’Cinemarray cinema systems generate a sound quality equally superior. Together they create a whole new level of cinematic experience.” * Pro-ribbon has long been recognised as producing a superior high end sound but was seen as too fragile for big systems. Alcons’ patented technology allows them to bring pro-ribbon to the professional world with even greater reliability than traditional sound systems.
AGS Enters Multiplex Business AGS Entertainment, popular for film production and distribution, now enters the exhibition business. Tamil super hit movies like ‘Yuddam Saye, Madarasa Pattanam, Irumbu Kottai Murrattu Singham, Santhosh Subramaniam’ are some films produced by AGS. Currently they are producing Avan Evan / Vade-Veedu under the direction of Bala and Engeyum Kadhal and Velur Mavattam under the direction of Prabhu Deva. Recently AGS has inaugurated a multiplex with five screens in Villivakkam, Chennai. It has constructed another multiplex with four screens at Navalur, OMR Road, Chennai. This multiplex is equipped with 3D screens, Dolby digital surround sound, 2K resolution picture quality, comfortable seating. This was inaugurated with orphan children from various orphanages in Chennai. The significant guests who graced the occasion were Jayam Ravi, Nanda, Sun Pictures CEO Hansraj Saxena, producer Alagappan.
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ARR Bags Public Choice Award for ‘127 Hours’ Music maestro AR Rahman, who has already won two Oscars for his music in Slumdog Millionaire and two Grammy awards, has bagged the Public Choice Award for his score in Danny Boyle’s ‘127 Hours’ at the World Soundtrack Awards. ‘Thanks to my fans and the World Soundtrack Academy for the Public Choice award for the score of 127 Hours,’ the 45-year-old composer posted on Facebook. Alexandre Desplat, who scored music for films The King’s Speech and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, bagged the film composer of the year award at the ceremony. Oscar-winning German composer Hans Zimmer beat Desplat for the Best Original Film Score honour, taking the prize for his work on Christopher Nolan’s Inception.
Partho Aka Stanley Bags International Award Partho does it again! He won many hearts early this year with his superb performance as Stanley in his father Amol Gupte’s film Stanley ka Dabba, and now he is on winning spree again! Only this time it is prestigious international awards. The film has been doing the rounds at different film festivals and has been appreciated by one and all. At the Schlingel International Film Festival which concluded in Chemnitz in Germany this Sunday, the 10-yearold won the best actor award from among 130 young actors competing in films from all across the world. This isn’t the only triumph for the film; Amol’s film Stanley Ka Dabba has already won many prestigious awards like the Special Award Action Aid – Giffoni Film Festival, 2011 – Italy, Best Film Critics Award at the Jagran Film Festival, 2011 – New Delhi and also Partho’s Best Child Actor at New talent awards – Mumbai. Amole Gupte’s debut film as a director Stanley Ka Dabba impressed the audiences when it released in May 2011. With the future film festival screenings line-up, it looks like the film will reach out to much bigger audiences and will be riding high on awards.
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Jo Dooba So Paar - It’s Love in Bihar Selected for SAIFF Jo Dooba So Paar - It’s Love in Bihar directed by Praveen Kumar starring Anand Tiwari, Vinay Pathak, Rajat Kapoor, Sadia Siddhque, Sita Spada and Pitobash has been selected to be part the Spectrum Section of the 2011 South Asian International Film Festival. This year’s festival will take place in New York City in November 2011 and feature the work of new South Asian filmmakers from all around the world. This is the 8th year of the festival. SAIFF is one of the largest international film festivals that premiere films made in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and few other countries. The main motto of SAIFF is support the emerging filmmakers of South Asia, who lack proper support to showcase their best works across the globe. The film Jo Dooba So Paar - It’s Love in Bihar as the name suggests is set in Bihar and is a love story about a boy Kishu who falls in love with a ‘firangan’ Sapna who has come to India to do some research on Indian Culture. But while Kishu tries to explore this romance, things change and then what happens is the story that follows. Jo Dooba So Paar - Its Love In Biharis releasedin October this year across India.
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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Honoured with the Abhinaya Kaala Ratna Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was honoured with the Pazhassiraja Purashkaram- ‘Abhinaya Kaala Ratna’ by the Pazhassi Raja Charitable Trust. Other recipients of this award were Lata Mangeshkar, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and many others from other fields. Earlier this award has only been conferred to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan from the Hindi Film Industry and now Lata Mangeshkar and Aishwarya have joined the eminent list of recipients. Aishwarya could not attend the event as she had a prior family commitment out of town but a message was sent across where she said, “I’d like to dedicate this award to every professional I’ve worked with throughout my career and to all my audiences in India and the world over for their love, support and blessings... and my family.”
The Pazhassi Rajakeeya Puraskaram is an award which has been instituted by the Pazhassi Raja Charitable Trust and it’s a distribution ceremony were eminent personalities of international reputation from across the country are honoured.
The ceremony was to happen in Delhi earlier in the year in the presence of the President of India but due to the sad demise of his Highness Sankara Varma (the senior Raja of Pazhassi Kovilalam) the ceremony as rescheduled to be staged in Mumbai in the presence of His Excellency, The Governor of Maharashtra now.
Pazhassi Raja Charitable Trust was formed with the noble intention of remembering the great pioneer freedom fighter Veera Pazhassi Rajaand his uncompromising patriotism and of introducing him to the new generation. This, we hope will enlighten them of the chivalrous stories of the fight against the alien rule. This enables them to redeem them of the dangerous philosophy of terrorism and extremism, which is the major threat to the integrity and unity of our nation.
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‘Love Breakups Zindagi’ Makers Receive PETA Award
legendary actor Shammi Kapoor, besides a special screening of his film Brahmachari, Shammi’s hit film Kashmir Ki Kali were screened at the festival, which also had a special segment on films from Bhutan. He also added that SAF (which is in its sixth year of existence), had a rich haul of more than 50 films from all the eight South Asian countries. Bhutan is the focus country of SAFF-2011.
The makers of ‘Love Breakups Zindagi’ have one more reason to celebrate as they have won the ‘Hero to Animals’ Award from PETA India. Born Free Entertainment gets ‘Two Paws Up’ from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for promoting animal rescue in their film LBZ. In the film ‘Love Breakups Zindagi’, in one of the scenes the characters portrayed by Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan pull over their car to rescue a small puppy sitting in the middle of the road. When no guardian appears, the couple decides to bring the puppy home. Dia then decides to adopt the dog and showers it with affection. For showing that homeless animals make wonderful additions to families, Born Free Entertainment the film’s production company - has won a ‘Hero to Animals’ Award from PETA India. ”We give Love Breakups Zindagi ‘two paws up’ for reminding moviegoers that India’s streets are full of loving animals in need of a good home”, says PETA India Chief Functionary Poorva Joshipura. “We encourage everyone who has the time and resources to care for a dog or cat, to adopt a homeless animal in need - you’ll have a loving companion for the rest of his or her life.” In India, approximately 25 million homeless dogs struggle to survive on the streets. Many of them go hungry, are injured or killed, are hit by vehicles or are abused by people. Countless others are kept in animal shelters because there aren’t enough good homes for them. Every time a dog or cat has a litter, it means fewer homes for the dogs and cats that are languishing in animal shelters or
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roaming on the streets. PETA encourages prospective cat and dog guardians to adopt from an animal shelter or take in a homeless animal from the streets and never to buy from a breeder or a pet store. PETA also reminds guardians to get their animal companions sterilized.
Shammi Kapoor Posthumously Honoured by SAFF The whole film fraternity came to an instant standstill after the death of the legendary actor Shammi Kapoor. Lots of his fans have paid various tributes to him as a mark of love and respect. Likewise, the South Asia Film Festival (SAFF), honoured him by organizing a tribute programme in Goa in September, in the memory of the late actor. Rahul Barua, the Secretary General of the South Asia Foundation (SAF), which organizes the festival in Goa annually, said that as a tribute to the
He also added that, besides all this, various film personalities like Subhash Ghai, Randhir Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt and Sharmila Tagore conducted workshops on various aspects of filmmaking like scriptwriting and direction.
Dev Anand and Rajesh Roshan Felicitated by MP Dev Anand is someone who can put any youngster to shame, courtesy his never say die attitude towards not just films, but also life! No wonder then, this ‘Mr. All-In-One’ was honoured with the ‘National Kishore Kumar Samman’ for the year 2010-11 by the Madhya Pradesh government. Simultaneously, music director Rajesh Roshan will be bestowed with the National Lata Mangeshkar award. As a part of the award, they will be presented with ` 2 lakh in cash, a scroll of honour, shawl and ‘shreephal’. State Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma said that both the film personalities had done a commendable work in their long cinematic career. The said function happenedin October at Khandwa for Dev Anand, while the date for Rajesh Roshan is to be decided.
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Deepika Approached by Olym pics to be their Brand Amba ssador Deepika Padukone is the only young achiever. She has achieved so much at such a young age. ”
stunningly beautiful star who is in demand for her glamorous self as for her sporty side. As much as she is desired for glamorous mag azine covers, she is also desired by all sports institutions to attract youngsters to sports or sporting activity. In fact, Deepika herself was a state level badminton play er. After being the face of F1 in India , Deepika has been approached for a motivational campaign that is bein g worked upon for Olympics next year and at the same time has been approached for becoming the face of badminton in India. The Olym pics Board wants her to promote and encourage young generation to take up sports in a big way.
Deepika too is keen to give her time to the mot ivat iona l cam paig n, whi ch will be addressed to Indians so that we as a nation can win and achi eve more at the Olympics. “My first love continues to be sports and I would love to do any cam paig n that enco urag es people to take up sports in our coun try” , says Dee pika . Explains a source from the Boa rd promoting Olympics, “We are looking for a celebrity to prom ote sports. We need people to belie ve that if this person can achieve so much at such a young age so can they. In case of Deepika, she is a true
The official Olympics spokesperson confirms, “Yes she has been approached and in all meetings, the board has been saying that she is the only one they would like as she has a very strong bond with sports and achieved so much.”
ayne apper Lil W R t s e g ig B orld’s is s up with W m a s, Lil Wayne Te a iy m m World Record a h s e R cord-holder Himesh ned for as re ammiya, Himesh Resh Opinion on d. But ay be divide the actor, m out two ways ab there’re no ing great Musician, go Himesh the versed ce Himesh re guns. Ever sin stupid ubborn and his earlier st pose only sing and com decision to an as feature him in films that unities rt gate of oppo actor, a flood hmic yt rh up for the have opened Re sh am m iy a. nge is usical challe His biggest m @ Da ional album the internat ready ch he has al Edge for whi mix track with recorded a re ard Maya. usician Edw Romanian m e got even mor Himesh just l album na io is internat ambitious. H ure a duet, will now feat
mentio Hits By t US Hot-100 for the ‘Mos its e With 64 H A Rap Artist .” 10 20 d an Between 1999
with composition, an original . ne pper Lil Way American ra rded as the is widely rega Wayne who the world ul rapper in most successf million oximately 10 has sold appr . In 2012’s ss the world albums acro ok Of e Guinness Bo edition of th
to d Lil Wayne Himesh invite e two Th . ge Ed @ Da contribute to ng king on a so are now wor ’. It ow N e M e To entitled ‘Com part as ly on t ed no will be releas so as a album but al of Himesh’s Lil US for fans of single in the ne’s ay (W em th ugh Wayne. Thro blish a hopes to esta fans) Himesh S. ket in the U musical mar ted, Himesh When contac doing a was indeed admitted he Waynee Th l Wayne. song with Li To Me e single ‘Com Reshammiya . ar ye lease next Now’ will re
October-December 2011
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Gulshan Grover Plays Dada Bh agwan in Hollywood Film Desperate Endeavours After winning hearts of the audiences with I Am Kalam, Gulshan Grover is back again, this time in a Hollywood film title d Desperate Endeavours.
there! The said film, that was shot in NY totally, premiered at the New York International Film Festival. What’s more, Gulshanwas nominated for the Best Actor award for this film at the festival!
The film is directed by the Fren chAlgerian director Sam Khassa. Gulshan plays the role of Dad a Bhagwan; the man who went to America in the 70s and enlightened the lives of the Indians as well as the American s
First the National Award nomination, now the New York International Film Festival nomination, Gulshan just couldn’t have asked for more!
Priyanka Chopra to Release Her International Music Album look forward to launching her recording career around the world.”
Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, and Desi Hits, have signed a worldwide recording agreement with actress Priyanka Chopra. As a part of this deal, Priyanka will release her debut music album in North America with Desi Hits through Interscope Records and in other International markets on Island Records UK. A trained Western Classical singer, Priyanka is currently in the studio, writing and recording her debut pop album, which will be sung in English. Troy Carter, CEO of Atom Factory, who also manages Lady Gaga has signed with Priyanka to manage her music career across the globe. Priyanka is also the first major international signing for Desi Hits, which was founded by AnjulaAcharia-Bath in partnership with UMG in 2010 as the preeminent home for highly creative artists with Indian/South Asian roots. Ms. Acharia-Bath, the Chief Executive of fusion multi-platform
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”We believe wholeheartedly in Priyanka’s talent, drive, and creative vision,” stated Anthony Saleh, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Atom Factory. “We are confident in Priyanka’s ability to redefine pop music on her own terms” media company Desi Hits!, flew to India with UMG UK Chief Executive David Joseph to sign on Priyanka. ”Pop music has always had a love affair with Indian culture and with Priyanka’s unique talent and experience, we have the opportunities to push the boundaries of popular culture,” stated Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records. “I feel this is an amazing opportunity for all of us.” ”Bollywood has had Priyanka to itself for too long,” commented David Joseph, Chairman and Chief Executive of Universal Music UK. “She has exceptional talent and we
Her music debut will add another dimension to this actor, humanitarian, green crusader and brand ambassador. Priyanka Chopra, one of the most recognized talents in Indian cinema, is a recipient of the prestigious Indian National Film Awards amongst many others. She is acknowledged as one of the most versatile actors with many path breaking performances. Priyanka is also actively involved in her role as the National Ambassador for UNICEF in India and the Green Ambassador of a nationwide environment awareness campaign in India.
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ood Debut with yw ll o H e ak M to Amitabh Bachchan he r an d The Great Gatsby Kn ap ma n, Lu cy Fis rks Am ita bh Th e Gre at Ga tsb y ma r ma ins tre am Ba chc ha n’s firs t eve be dir ect ed Ho llyw oo d mo vie to e by the Os car no mi ne Ro ug e). lin ou (M n an hrm Bu zLu yer Ba chc ha n pla ys Me ma n ish Jew a eim Wo lfsh a ga mb ler Ga tsb y de scr ibe s as Wo rld Ser ies . wh o ha d fix ed the all usi on to Wo lfsh eim is a cle ar Ne w Yo rk Ar no ld Ro ths tei n, a wa s cri me kin gp in wh o for the Bla ck no tor iou sly bla me d tai nte d the So x Sca nd al wh ich 191 9 Wo rld Ser ies . scr een Th e film is a ne w big tt Sco F. of ad ap tat ion m the Fit zge ral d’s no vel fro mi nd of e tiv ina ag un iqu ely im r cto ire r/d uce wr ite r/p rod ma ke r film e Th n. Ba zLu hrm an dis tin cti ve wil l cre ate his ow n of the on ati ret vis ua l int erp the pe rio d ing ng bri ry, cla ssic sto t ha s ne ver to life in a wa y tha Leo na rdo e. for be be en see n titl e rol e. the in rs DiC ap rio sta low s Th e Gre at Ga tsb y fol -be wr ite r uld Fit zg era ld- lik e, wo ves the lea he Nic k Ca rra wa y as w Yo rk Ne to es Mi dw est an d com an era 2, 192 of Cit y in the spr ing rin g tte gli s, of loo sen ing mo ral asi ng Ch gs. kin jaz z an d bo otl eg k Nic , am Dre his ow n Am eri can us, rio ste my a lan ds ne xt do or to Jay , ire na pa rty -gi vin g mi llio the ba y from Ga tsb y, an d acr oss d he r an his cou sin , Da isy, loo de d e-b ph ila nd eri ng , blu n. It is na cha hu sba nd , Tom Bu int o the wn dra thu s tha t Nic k is sup er the of cap tiv ati ng wo rld an d es lov ns, ric h, the ir illu sio ss, ne wit ars de cei ts. As Nic k be
the wo rld he wit hin an d wit ho ut tal e of inh ab its, he pe ns a orr up tib le im po ssi ble lov e, inc cta ne tra ge dy, dre am s an d hig h-o to ou r ow n an d ho lds a mi rro r str ug gle s. mo de rn tim es an d mi ne e DiC ap rio Ac ad em y Aw ard no iat or) pla ys Jay (Bl oo d Dia mo nd , Av Ma gu ire Ga tsb y, wit h Tob ey wa y; Joe l rra Ca k sta rrin g as Nic mi ne e Ca rey no car Os d Ed ge rto n an tio n) as Tom Mu llig an (An Ed uca Isla Fis he r n; na cha an d Da isy Bu My rtle an d an d Jas on Cla rke as d ne wc om er Ge org e Wi lso n; an Jor da n Ba ker. as ki bic Eli zab eth De Am ita bh Ind ian film leg en d rol e of the y pla l Ba chc ha n wil . im he Me yer Wo lfs
nn er Ac ad em y Aw ard wi iat or) . Th e Do ug las Wi ck (Gl ad are Ba rrie s exe cut ive pro du cer Be rm an . ce M. Os bo rne an d Bru Aw ard Tw o-t im e Ac ad em y an d on cti du pro wi nn ing rin e the Ca r ne sig de cos tum e ug e) als o Ma rtin (M ou lin Ro ect or. Th e de sig ns wit h the dir lla nti ne , ed ito rs are Jas on Ba ath an Ma tt Vil la an d Jon dir ect or of the d an d, Re dm on on Du gg an . ph oto gra ph y is Sim
an n (M ou lin Os car no mi ne e Lu hrm in 3D fro m film Ro ug e) dir ect s the wit h n itte a scr een pla y co- wr ig Pe arc e, Cra tor fre qu en t col lab ora . ok bo s ld’ ba sed on Fit zg era wi th ng alo , Lu hrm an n pro du ces e rin the Ca Ca the rin e Ma rtin ,
tzg era ld Lu hrm an n sai d, “Fi d wa s a an s lov ed the mo vie the in ver pa ssio na te be lie Gre at e Th a. po we r of cin em for ted ap ad Ga tsb y ha s be en r fou n tha s les the scr een no s fie de ry sto d’s tim es. Fit zge ral ion vis e Th hy. rap tim e an d ge og r rem ark ab le an d the go al of ou to do jus tic e is ves cas t an d cre ati zge ral d’s Fit of to the de ftn ess its big te na mi tel lin g, an d illu is is ou r Th y. nit ide as an d hu ma tur e.” ven ad r ou cha lle ng e an d be ing sho t Th e Gre at Ga tsb y is e Au str ali a. in Luh rm an n’s na tiv , “Th e Th e film ma ker sta ted the film in op po rtu nit y to ma ke ark zm Ba Au str ali a wit h the rta nt po im y cre ati ve tea m is ver m fro to us; the ass ista nce d the NS W an a ali str Au een Scr de tha t Go ver nm en t ha s ma po ssi ble .” trib ute d in Th e film wil l be dis r Bro s. 3D an d 2D by Wa rne s. Bro r rne Wa Pic tur es, a y, an d in an mp Co t en En tertai nm Vil lag e sel ect ter rito rie s by es. tur Pic Ro ad sho w
October-December 2011
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• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E •
How Does
India Size Up? – Sandeep Mittal
India figures in the top five countries of the world when it comes to population and GDP (on PPP basis). Hence it is natural for India to also figure in the top five when it comes to boxoffice collections. In fact, India’s GDP is likely to overtake that of Japan in a year’s time, so India will figure in the top three of the world club for these three parameters. However, when it comes to biggest grossers or largest circuits, India is nowhere in the picture. Despite being in the top club, as above, India continues to languish in terms of number of screens with a single circuit. The largest, Big Cinemas, has over 250 screens out of an estimated 12,000 screens in the country. Behind Big Cinemas is PVR and Inox with around 150 screens each. Which means the market remains deeply fragmented and benefits of economies of scale are realised neither to the industry nor the consumer.
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mark, ‘3 Idiots’ being the highest. Again, Bollywood is feted as just next to Hollywood, but comes woefully short when it comes to boxoffice collections of single movies. Hollywood’s top grossers repeatedly breach the US$ 1 billion mark of which approximately 50% collections are domestic and 50% overseas. Usually the top three multiplex circuits whether in Thailand, Philippines, UK or USA, control about 50 per cent of the screens. However in India they control less than 10 per cent and therein lies the rub. For India to be a cinema power there is an urgent need to consolidate. And here consolidation does not mean one circuit gobbles up the other, but takes over many of the 12,000 single or twin screens to make at least a 1,000-screen chain.
So we may have one of the top five boxoffice collections in the world yet our top grossers are tiny (compared to Hollywood) which means India has the largest number of releases. Again, fragmentation is clearly visible. That is why there are more movies chasing scarce release dates and many good movies going unnoticed. A healthy ratio of studios and independents will ensure a more optimal flow of releases and better utilisation of resources.
It is also interesting to note that India’s highest grossing movies worldwide have never crossed the US$ 100 million
This also brings out the need for a healthy relationship between movie moghuls and multiplex czars. One
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• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E •
5 Brazil
4 Indonesia
3
USA
2
India
China
1
Top 5 by Population
Ra.One 225 crores
5 Germany
4 India
3
Japan
2
China
USA
1
Top 5 by GDP on PPP basis
5 UK
4 France
3
India
2
Japan
USA
1
Top 5 by boxoffice collections
must not view the other as mercenary. In the last decade, India has had a history of hostility between the two camps. This does not bode well for the industry as both are intertwined. Movie producers and exhibitors must engage each other in meaningful dialogue, taking a holistic view of the industry across the entire value-chain from production to exhibition. Both must brainstorm as to how the industry can be corporatised and consolidated so as to optimise the boxoffice and benefit all. India is very favourably placed in the world community. With the second fastest growing economy and a young population, India is uniquely positioned to reap the demographic dividend. For India to leverage that the industry needs to see the larger
Top 10 movies by boxoffice collections (US$ b) 1. Avatar (2.8) 2. Titanic (1.8) 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (1.12) 4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (1.07) 5. Toy Story 3 (1.06) 6. Alice in Wonderland (1.02) 7. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (1.01) 8. The Dark Knight (1.0) 9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2* 10. Transformers: Dark of the Moon* *running
Robot 375 crores picture. We urgently need to corporatise and consolidate, not necessarily in that order, but we need to do both. From shooting to projection we need to raise the entire industry to global scales thereby creating value all the way. Fragmentation has been India’s bane for long. From multiple, small kingdoms before independence to mini farmlands, India has not been able to dominate the world due to the absence of big thinking that permeates giant MNCs and governments. For India to become a superpower in all spheres it is important that producers and exhibitors think together and think big, really big. The gains will benefit India and the world - the ecosystem of producers, exhibitors and patrons. Top 10 multiplex circuits by screen count (# of screens*) 1. Regal (6,777) 2. AMC (5336) 3. Cinemark (3838) 4. Carmike (2236) 5. Cinepolis (2160) 6. Cineplex (1351) 7. Rave (936) 8. Marcus (668) 9. Hollywood (546) 10. National (450) *approximate
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• INDIAPLEXING • DRC Cinemas Opens
Mysore Gets Its First!
Mysore got its first multiplex in the form of DRC Cinemas located in BM Habitat Mall, Jayalakshmipuram. It is the first Multiplex in Mysore and it opened to patrons on 1 October 2011. It consists of 4 screens, with one of the screens capable of screening both 3D and 2K content. Mysore is one of the leading cities of Karnataka, one of the major states of South India. Mysore is 150 kms southwest of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka. Mysore city with a population of about 1.1 million is also the city that attracts the maximum number of tourists in the state. To cater to this vast number of tourists and also to its own residents, Mysore has a number of entertainment centres like traditional single-screen cinema halls, game
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zones, dance and drama centres, theme parks, etc. The city is cosmopolitan in nature, attracting residents and businesses from across the country. Mysore is rapidly growing to be a major destination for IT companies, healthcare and higher education. Brick-and-motar industries too are not far behind, with two major industrial belts located at Hebbal and Nanjangud. Industrial houses such as Reid & Taylor, TVS, AT&S, Nestle to name a few, already have their presence here while others such as ITC plan to setup their units here. Mysore is blessed with two perennial rivers in close proximity – Cauvery to the North and Kabini to the South. Broad roads, underground sewerage,
avenue trees, footpaths, gardens, boulevards etc, were planned and executed as early as in the 1900’s. Not surprisingly, Mysore has bagged the award of being the 2nd cleanest city in the Country. The fully air-conditioned lobby and the auditoriums are tastefully designed to cater to the needs of the people of Mysore. Top of the line audio systems from Datasat and projectors from Barco have been
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• INDIAPLEXING • installed here. Some of the other facilities at DRC include: •
Ample parking in basement
•
Online Booking facility at www.bookmyshow.com
•
Concession counters for food and beverages.
•
Clean restrooms with a separate one for physically challenged persons.
•
Comfortable seating
•
Fully air-conditioned
PROJECT FACT FILE CONSULTANTS Architects: Designtude Studio, Bangalore Lighting: Designtude India & Power Engineering, Bangalore HVAC: Skanda Consultants, Bangalore Electrical, Fire and Safety: Power Engineering, Bangalore Audi Interiors and Acoustics: GM Audio, Chennai Projectors: Dorairaj Associates, Mysore Audio consultants: Dorairaj Associates, Mysore and GM Audio, Chennai CONTRACTORS Interiors and Fabrication: Bhamys Constructions, Mysore Electric: Nesara Electricals Bangalore and Mysore HVAC: Freezing Point, Bangalore Audi Acoustics: A. Dorairaj Associates Fire and Safety: Firepro, Bangalore EQUIPMENT Projectors: Screen 1,2 and 3: Panasonic DW100; Screen 4(2K and 3D): Barco 20C Servers: Qube S servers for Panasonic Projectors and D Servers for Barco Sound Processors: DATASAT AP-20 Speakers: DAS Audio Amplifiers: Audio Centre Pro 9.0 Screen: Amar Plastics, Mumbai Seating: SR Seating Systems, Bangalore Lighting: Pasolite, Bangalore LED: REI Electronics, Mysore Carpets: Plaunche, Bangalore Acoustical Materials: Anutone Strand, Subtex and Synth, Bangalore Fire Doors: Ahlada, Hyderabad
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• INDIAPLEXING •
Indore Goes to Broadway
HDIL Scores a first
Though Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh, a central state of India, Indore is the largest city of the state and referred to as mini-Mumbai given its proximity and ambience. Indore boasts quite a few multiplexes by now. Broadway is the latest to hit the city. TM does a rendezvous. Broadway at Indore is a single-level 4-screen multiplex located in Malhar Mega Mall. It is spread in an area of 42,000 square feet. The management claims their multiplex means total entertainment - an ambience to be experienced, technology to be looked uponand service to be talked about. The lobby is in tones of yellow and a huge concession counter for the
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regular F&B like popcorn, cola, samosa, sandwiches etc. and five kiosk counters which has been occupied by different vendors and boast about speciality F&B like a French fries counter, an Indori chaat counter which caters chaat according to festive moods, Bhutta (corn cobs)
with different flavours and many more regional food varieties. Broadway Indore is the first multiplex in Indore to have 2k digital screen with 7.1 digital surround sound as also the first to feature a 2K 3D digital screen. The seating auditorium is very
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comfortable with spacious seats and good spacing between rows. The multiplex has another two firsts to its credit. It boasts the biggest screen in the state of Madhya Pradesh (of which Indore is the capital). Also the Broadway Lounge Theatre is one of the biggest lounge auditoriums in Indore with 40 reclinersand lots of spacing between seating rows. The multiplex also has invested in training its staff to be customer friendly staff. The ticket rates have been maintained at reasonable levels with two weekday schemes of super Mondays and happy Tuesdays to ensure higher occupancy on lean days. Bollywood stars have descended Broadway Indore to promote their movies - John Abraham, Dia Mirza, Zayed Khan, Himesh Reshamiya, Vinay Pathak etc. Vinay Pathak liked the multiplex so much that he came back to watch a film with the crew and sat amongst regular patrons for a evening screening of a movie. That Indorians have largely accepted Broadway Indore is evident from the fact that in a span of three months of operations there has been a tremendous response enabling it to become one of the top three multiplexes of Indore. October-December 2011
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Raghav Cine Complex, Nellore
Returns in New Avatar as S2 Multiplex
S2 serves as the new symbol of contemporary style and design and carries forward the essence of some of the all-time greatest movies screened at this venue over the last three decades. It serves as the destination for an incredible yet affordable movie going experience, in a setting that is truly inspirational. The interiors are chic with the option of a ‘gold class’ and all three screens are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to provide an experience like never before. The designs are new and the space looks completely different, but S2 is here to continue what Raghava Cine Complex has accomplished over the last 30 years – provide a wonderful movie going experience. The space was re-launched with a completely new look in October by Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman UB Group and Megastar Padmabhushan Dr. Chiranjeevi.
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Raghava Cine Complex was launched in 1980 by the Chairman of McDowell & Co. Ltd. – late VittalMallya in the presence of the legendary cine artiste, honourable Sri. N.T. Rama Rao, Revenue Minister –N. Janardhan Reddy, and Ex-Governor of Uttar Pradesh – B. Gopal Reddy.
Over the last three decades, Raghava Cine Complex has been a household name in Nellore, bringing movies from big banners across the country with many favourites running well over 100 days. These memories will always be cherished and would not have been possible without the late MaguntaSubbarama Reddy, who was
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• INDIAPLEXING • the visionary behind this legendary theatre, a man whose mission was to bring the best movies to the people of Nellore. Raghava Cine Complex was the first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh with three screens, completely air-conditioned designed to entertain movie lovers.
Design The space is designed by Giovanni Castor of Castor Designs. The multiplex is done up in a contemporary fashion to give a stylish yet warm feel so customers could relax and completely enjoy the experience. The lobbies and washrooms shine in Travetino marble and the auditorium is aesthetically done up with walls paneled with sheer chocolate brown curtains with back-lit curtains and vitrified tiles on the floor. Giovanni Castor of Castor Design and Associates in California brings more than 22 years of hospitality and interior design experience to escape. Giovanni was Project Designer at the top hospitality firm, WATGWinberley Allison Tong and GOO Newport Beach Office. Castor was the lead designer for the Palm CasinoLas Vegas, L’Ermitage- Beverly Hills, Grand Hyatt-Mumbai and also collaborated with noted architect I M Pei on the Four Seasons in New York. Standing proof of his immense global exposure is Escape in Chennai, the first luxury multiplex in the country.
Screens Spanning a total area of a little more than 40,000 square feet (ground floor and first floor), S2 houses three screens, catering to a capacity of over 1,500 seats. Each of the screens comes with a select number of Gold Class seats that have been specially designed with luxuriously comfortable reclining seats to provide customers with a first class quality experience.
Technology The cinemas are equipped with stateof-the-art entertainment technology; including digital projectors with 3D technology, 2.4 gain Silver Screens and digital audio, delivering stunning cinematic experience. All installations are commissioned by well calibrated testing equipment and factory trained in-house engineers.
Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines and boasts of items such as creamy pastas, scrumptious sandwiches, signature pizzas, delightful desserts, as well as the aromatic local flavours of Nellore. There is also a wide selection of freshly squeezed beverages at the juice bar and a variety of munchies at the chaat counter.
Concessions Food Court Done up in style and looking over a lush garden, the food court at S2 is the perfect place to enjoy a quick, delicious meal with friends and family. The elaborate menu covers
The Food and Beverage counters at S2 offer a variety of freshly prepared snacks, ranging from popcorn, puffs, desserts, beverages, ice cream and a whole lot more.
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• INDIAPLEXING •
RDX-4K At S2, RDX-4K stands for the Real Digital Experience provided by 4K projectors. Watching movies in digital format means enhanced clarity, colour, contrast and brightness by incorporating all DCI – screen management system standards. The movie looks and sounds exactly the way the film-maker intended. The cinema comes replete with Barco digital projectors with 4K resolution, the latest in digital technology. Hence the projection brings stunning images in enhanced 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160), combined with ultimate brightness and vibrant colour-accuracy time after time. They are also known for their technical competency in preventing piracy.
RDX 3D All the cinemas are equipped with 3D. 3D movies in RDX use the Master Image’s Digital 3D technology. Digital 3D adds a new dimension in 3D movie viewing and providing an immersive experience that engages the audience in to the situation of the movie with realistic colour and sharp images. The system interfaces with the Digital Cinema Servers and are capable of playing 3D content that comply with the Hollywood Studio approved DCI specifications.
Sound The screens are equipped with 3 way JBL speakers and QSC amplifiers with world’s leading QSC DCP 300 processor to give high precision in all frequency ranges. These high quality equipment are tuned with standards of SMPTE to give maximum voice clarity and are guaranteed to give an audio experience that is unparalleled.
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• INDIAPLEXING •
Inox’s Second Avatar at Siliguri and Vijaywada SILIGURI
Further strengthening its presence in the eastern state of West Bengal, Inox launched its 2nd multiplex in Siliguri at the City Centre, Matigara. With the launch of this multiplex, Inox introduced its 10th multiplex in West Bengal and 40th in the country. Inox at City Centre has 4 auditoriums with a total capacity of 1,199 seats.
as Christie’s projection and Dolby Digital three-way sound. A fully automated box office is situated at the ground level and computerised ticketing through the internet has been introduced for the first time in the city to ensure greater transparency
and comfort in ticket booking. Home delivery of tickets will also be offered soon after the launch. Inox City Centre opens with a mix of Bengali, Hindi and English movies, all under one roof at flexi-pricing through the day.
Alok Tandon, CEO, Inox Leisure Ltd. said, “We at Inox take pride in bringing the best movie-going experience once again to our patrons of Siliguri with the launch of our 2nd multiplex at City Centre, Matigara. We will continue to offer the Inox hospitality and ensure more and more patrons choose Inox to watch their movies”. Akin to the standards set at all Inox multiplexes, this new multiplex is also equipped with the best in projection and acoustic systems, using the world’s finest equipment and technology such October-December 2011
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Refuel, the in-house brand of theatre food, which serves an extended menu of flavoured popcorn, hot and cold snacks, beverages and a variety of combo meals. Trained staff in ushering, Box office, concessions and housekeeping ensures a comfortable and pleasant experience. Besides, a high standard of hygiene and security within the complex completes the loop in providing world-class comfort. With the launch of the 10th multiplex in West Bengal (4 multiplexes in Kolkata: Forum, City Centre, Swabhumi, Rajarhat and 1 each in Darjeeling, Durgapur, Burdwan, Liluah and Siliguri), Inox now has a total of 37 screens in the State.
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• INDIAPLEXING •
VIJAYWADA
Inox also launched its second multiplex property in Vijayawada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. With the launch of this property, Inox now has five multiplexes in the State with 23 screens. The new plex has four screens with a total seating capacity of 1,198. Nationally, Inox now has 41 multiplexes and 155 screens across 26 cities.
popcorn, hot and cold snacks, beverages and a variety of combo meals. Trained staffs in ushering, box office, concessions and housekeeping ensure a comfortable and pleasant
experience. In addition to these facilities, a high standard of hygiene and security within the complex completes the loop in providing world-class comfort.
Inox Leisure CEO Alok Tandon said, “We at Inox take pride in bringing the best movie-going experience once again to our patrons of Vijayawada with the launch of our second multiplex at LEPL Icon, Patamata.” Inox at LEPL Icon screens a mix of Telugu, Hindi and English movies, all under one roof. Refuel, the in-house brand of theatre food, which serves an extended menu of flavoured
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• INDIAPLEXING •
Some of the movies screened in the opening week were Spy Kids: All The Time In The World, Chatur Singh: Two Star, Not A Love Story, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Mugguru Maha Maayagallu, Urimi, Aarakshan, Kandireega, Dhada, Naa Peru Shiva and Kanchana.
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• CINEMA SYSTEMS •
Cinepolis, Ahmedabad
Creating a New Benchmark with
Cinema Sound The promising cinema multiplex space has witnessed several national and international chains expanding its footprint in India over the last few years. Cinepolis India, part of the Mexico based multiplex chain, founded in 1971, is the rapidly looking at expanding its operations in India since establishing its first property in Amritsar in 2009.
Cinepolis estimates its number of patrons in India and Central & South America to be 7 million. The number is only slated to grow especially in India, considering the entertainment boom and growing population flocking to multiplexes fuelled by the mall culture. This cinema chain, is today one of the fastest growing in
India, totalling 5 cinemas with 26 screens and 6,000 seats. Cinepolis, Vastrapur , Ahmedabad property is the latest with 6 auditoriums and 1,100+ seats. The multiplex is situated in Alpha One mall, near Vastrapur lake and was launched in November 2011.
Cinépolis has introduced innovative concepts to the exhibition industry, such as the first multiplexes (Multicinemas), the first concept of a luxury cinema (Cinépolis VIP), the partnership with Imax turned into Cinépolis Imax. As of October 2011, Cinepolis worldwide boasts of 499,582 seats pegging this fast growing multiplex chain at fourth place in terms of number of screens, in the global ranking among exhibition circuits. India is a huge opportunity for Cinepolis as the market is growing at an astounding pace. As of 2010, October-December 2011
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• CINEMA SYSTEMS • By the virtue of its location, in the bustling Alpha One mall, Cinepolis Vastrapur plays host to most of the major movie releases every week and higher footfalls during the weekends. Utilising its rich experience in cinema sound systems and track record, Harman India has recently concluded a successfulinstallation at Cinepolis,Vastrapur, Ahmedabad. When starting out to set-up this premier property in Ahmedabad, the Cinepolis management were quite clear on delivering the promise of their international vision - ‘To light up the movie of your life with smiles and unforgettable moments’. Upholding this vision and mandate, the management at this multiplex had to ensure that technically this cinema property creates the best in class cinema experience, especially from the technical aspects of audio and video for the discerning audience.
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The complete installation project – including right selection of audio & video systems was spearheaded by Prem Kumar Tewari, Head of Technology, Cinepolis India.Harman India team carried out an extensive exercise of understanding the cinema’s current as well as future
needs of providing the best in class sound for its patrons. With the advent of 3D cinema, it was evident that the sound systems have to match the requirements of the latest in worldwide cinema standards and also leave sufficient scope for upgrading.
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• CINEMA SYSTEMS •
Each of the six screens in this theatre features a complete system of Harman’s JBL ScreenArray loudspeakers, JBL 46462A dual subwoofers and JBL 8340A surround speakers powered by Crown Audio DSi 2000 Series amplifiers, to deliver a spectacular surround sound experience. The Dsi cinema amplifiers deliver perfectly matched performance with each award-winning JBL ScreenArray system, making this a winning cinema solution. “The sound of the ScreenArray loudspeakers and the surround speakers is exceptional. JBL was the natural choice for a number of reasons, the main ones being JBL’s reliability, reputation, sound quality and value,” said Prem Kumar Tewari, Head of Technology, Cinepolis, India. We wanted loudspeakers we knew would be reliable under continuous use and especially suit our requirements for future upgrades. JBL & Crown Cinema range have been around a long time and are proven in movie theatres worldwide. The Harman systems easily fill all of our theatres in Ahmedabad with clear and powerful sound and really complement the excellence of the digital projection picture quality.” he added. The system was designed to deliver to its fullest output in all crucial
scenarios including supporting high quality sound output for 3D screening, ensuring most importantly ease of operation to the user. The headroom for the variations and control in sound output are best managed with this combination of high performance Harman systems. In order ensure there is sufficient room to handle sound levels going beyond the handling capacity of the system, Harman engineers designed the perfect system to meet all these challenges. The new system suggested by Harman India team, has capability of handling high sound levels with ample headroom; it reproduces soft whispers to the loudest bang, more efficiently. This was ideal for the requirements put forth by the Cinepolis management. “With the booming development in Indiancinema/multiplex space, this is a great opportunity for Harman Professional to be part of a successful
installation.” said Sriram Thandra, Sales Manager, Harman India. “We are confident that in the near future, with the increasing demand for premium sound and video, high-end cinema will expand into all cities throughout India. With this partnership, we are further establishing Harman as the standard for Indian cinema.” he added. Harman’s rich experience of being the sound solutions partner at prominent auditorium and theatre venues around the world has earned an enviable reputation in the installation marketsespecially in cinema with notable installs including majority of screens for PVR Cinemas, Satyam Cinemas in Jodhpur, AGS in Chennai, Cinerama Dome, Hollywood, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and the multi-functional Sigapi Achi Convention Centre at the Chettinad Medical College Auditorium, Chennai to name a few installs in the recent past.
October-December 2011
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Cinema Sound Matters That ‘sound is half the picture’ is now a well-known cliche. However, how leading multiplex circuits understand and deploy audio technologies across their auditoriums is important for readers and patrons. In a two-part First Person, Theatre Magic (TM) talks to its JC Mehta (JCM), VP Engineering at PVR Cinemas to understand how cinema sound matters for PVR. The second part is overleaf. Excerpts of the first part:
JC Mehta Vice President – Engineering, PVR Cinemas
TM – As someone who at the helm of affairs on the technical front at PVR Cinemas, how important do you think good sound is for the cinema experience? JCM – Although film is by definition a visual medium, the story is incomplete without ‘sound’. The entire cinema- going experience has undergone a sea change in India with multiplexes& the mall culture. Needless to say the audience is quite demanding of the best services and cinematic experience that will keep them entertained for 2~3 hours. Additionally, the cinema audience, especially urban and sub-urban is quite well read and aware of the various entertainment options and technologies. In our experience more often than not, audience on their exit from the theatre are reminded of the audio experience among the top reasons of rating a movie- be it any genre - drama, comedy , action, thriller. In a country like India, where movies have all these elements, a good sound experience in the cinema is the essence of a successful show. The sound reproduction in cinemas is not only about playing it ‘loud’, it is also about matching every visual as a complementing experience to the aural senses. Having said that, PVR has been constantly following and adapting all the latest international trends & standards in cinema sound – like digital cinema, 3D Cinema Sound etc,
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in order to ensure that someone who has watched a Steven Spielberg movie say in Europe or US has the same experience in India. In this endeavour we have chosen partners like Harman with legendary audio brands like JBL & Crown which have internationally defined cinema sound experience for over the years and also provided with the necessary support our technology mandate of being ahead in the adoption of the latest technologies for cinema sound. TM – How would you describe the changes in the cinema industry given the growth in varied entertainment options and competition among multiple players?
JCM – The very definition of ‘entertainment’ for an Indian consumer has changed over the years with the sheer availability of options, disposable income and exposure to international standards. Be it a sporting event, live concert, movies in multiplex, an evening out with family and friends, the options are unlimited. As the industry grows leaps and bound there is a need to invest in the right technology to compete on an international level. The differentiation in the experience that the audience has at home versus multiplexes, sets the latter apart. Today, there are several players in the market with a very competitive landscape in terms of pricing and service offering.
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However in my opinion the competition is definitely something that will only increase, given the market size and proliferation of multiplexes to Tier II cities. At the end of it,the location, premium offering with value add, ability to innovate, number of screens and shows and a comfortable movie viewing experience both in terms of the audio & visual helps a cinema chain achieve a competitive edge. TM – What is the single most striking change, technological advancement that you have seen in the last few years, especially in the area of sound equipment? JCM – One significant change that has taken place in the last few years with regard to reproduction of sound in cinemas is that speaker technology has moved on from the simple low powered 2 way systems to high powered 3 way systems and now to high power 4 way systems with the introduction of DSP technology. Amplifier technology has also kept pace with these changes in speaker technology preloaded presets for varied cinema models, eliminating the use of crossover units. TM – How has your requirement for setting up a complete cinema sound system changed in the last few years with consumer demand? What is your wish list on the technology front especially in terms of sound while deciding and installing cinema systems? JCM – As one of the leaders in cinema multiplex segment in the country it is our imperative to provide the very best experience in order to sustain the ever-increasing consumer demand and keeping pace with the advances in technology, occurring worldwide. To this end, we have constantly invested in new technology to
ensure the sound systems at the theatres best supports the format of uncompressed playback and creates the best audio and visual experience. Digital content has ensured that we can playback uncompressed sound and this means having the right equipment to reproduce this sound. We havethereforeinvested in the latest JBL 4 way speakers and the latest DSi digital amplifiers from Crown to support our requirements to support 3D sound.
provide the latest in sound. A prime example is PVR Juhu, Mumbai where we have done a complete revamp in the audio equipment as part of our philosophy of providing the best. Innovation and market needs are another driving factor at PVR. Director’s Cut, a premium cinema experience for theatre-going audiences in New Delhi, is coupled with 7.1 surround system experience. Needless to mention our patrons are extremely happy with the enhanced movie viewing experience. In Cinema, the mantra is to keep it simple. Our wish list is that the influx of new technologies should continue to ensure that the equipment is easy to install, simple to maintain, is upgradable and delivers outstanding quality, meeting all the standards and benchmark that we have set for PVR Cinemas. TM – How has your organisation geared up to address the requirement for sound with 3D cinema which seems to be the order of the day? Is 3D Cinema here to stay? JCM – 3D cinema has become extremely popular and is now here to stay with even Indian film makers exploring this technology successfully. Hence there is need to
TM – How important is acoustics to a good sound environment in the auditorium? Are acoustics and audio considered together for good sound? JCM – Good acoustics is a very important and the first step for good sound reproduction. We have constantly endeavoured to ensure that all our auditoriums are acoustically well treated to ensure that we get the best quality of sound reproduction for the high-end equipment that we invest in – be it in the materials used for the set-up, sound systems, fabrics, seating all carefully chosen and installed to meet international standards of cinema screening. TM – What do you see as the future of cinema sound? After 7.1 digital surround sound are height channels here to stay to make it 9.1 or 11.1 or even 13.1? JCM – Sound as you know technology has progressed from mono to stereo to digtal 5.1 and 7.1. We are aware that there are technologies that provide for many more channels of sound today. However, we feel that 7.1 itself offers an excellent feel and right now there is not much of content that is available today, reproducing more than 7.1 channels. Once there is an increase in the availability of content in more than 7.1 channels of sound, PVR will be at the forefront in adopting that technology.
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Cinema Projection Completes the Picture! If ‘sound is half the picture’ then visual is the other half. What is important from the perspective of one of the leading brands of the visual medium would be of interest to readers and patrons. In the second part of First Person, Theatre Magic (TM) talks to Abel Garamhegyi (AG), Managing Director of Barco India. Excerpts: TM – Congratulations on your new assignment. As head of all entities for Barco India , what challenges do you foresee?
been strong but until recently we didn’t pay much attention such as media or non-cinema projection.
AG – The role of India in Barco is increasing and it is really a great challenge for me to fulfill the expectations towards India. Reliability and self confidence are two challenges I foresee. We need to have a long term vision and not only midterm problem solving. It is like projecting the magic for future!
TM – The future of HFR and Auro3D in India? When will we see the first rollout here?
TM – The road ahead? What are your plans for the India market? AG – Barco is really top quality and what we try to convince the market in India is to go for the quality which is in a long run always more cost effective and will result in some saving so it is the missionary work in India which is very important. TM – Please highlight Barco’s R&D initiatives, the investments and sales activities... AG – We are just aiming for more reliable and more locally engaged products which means more local suppliers. All this to definitely fulfil local customer needs, but also keeping in consideration the stateof- art and real scientific challenges of our industry and tackle them, for example, laser projection. In terms of sales we are looking for partners as we are growing rapidly and this is a good practice in digital cinema and projection. We try to do that in other business units and try to discover market segments which we have
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AG – HFR (High Frame Rate ) & Auro will be the next level of cinema experience for viewers. The HFR trials that we have seen take you to a different level of visual delight which is not seen before. No wonder that stalwarts like James Cameron, of Titanic and Avatar fame, believe that it is the future of cinema. We are equipped for HFR development and in fact were the first to demonstrate single projector HFR at ShowEast recently. Auro is that added element of wow experience that we always aim for our customer with a lifelike sound. The first rollout will happen in the coming year 2012 and we are absolutely confident that the moment the audience experiences the quality they will appreciate and love and will not want to compromise on such quality. TM – Has a clear demarcation between D-Cinema and E-Cinema been established? If not, will the confusion continue? AG – For Barco India there is not much difference between both. What we offer is wide range of cinema projectors and we believe that the moment the quality sensitivity is among the audience the movie goers will ask for DC and the moment Bollywood goes for 3D movies they will require Barco projectors – it is not
Abel Garamhegyi Managing Director - Barco, India
about differentiating between DC & EC but it is only moving a step ahead towards quality. We have not only catered to the needs of the cinema market but have upgraded the standards. For example, Barco with our SI partner introduced HD to E Cinema. TM – Any new offerings for the budget E-Cinema space? How do you intend to position Barco India straddling the two value propositions of D & E-cinema? AG – We at Barco believe that the standards will converge and the current phenomenon of EC & DC will merge at some point of time. We continue to cater to the different requirements of the cinema market with our state-of-the-art products. The aim is to bring the best value to the customer in each of the segment and help him upgrade on a continuous basis. As regards new offering, there are exciting new products, concepts in the pipeline and the visible ones are Auro-3D sound, HFR capable projectors, TMS etc. The distant ones are the laser engine, and many more which we can not really share at this point of time. TM – What is the future of cinema exhibition in India? AG – Flying high, India being the largest movie consumer in the world, I feel the cinema is in the culture and holds strong cultural value which needs to be preserved. Barco is happy to be associated with this great country, great people and great industry.
Cinema Acoustics
Are the dialogues muddled instead of crisp? Does the surround sound seem to come from the front instead of rear? Wait! Don’t blame your equipment! It could be the hall acoustics! It is true that the most expensive of cinema gear cannot deliver pristine sound if the acoustical environment is not in sync. So how does one go about it? Anutone is the answer! Anutone’s vast array of acoustical products, systems, solutions and services enables you to optimise cinema audio and realise the best from your equipment for the complete satisfaction of patrons.
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