Coca-Cola Zero Launch in India
PVR to Raise 500 cr Through QIP
Coca-Cola India has launched its zero sugar soft drink - Coca-Cola Zero - in line with its strategy to make India its fifth largest market by 2020.
Multiplex operator PVR Ltd board has approved plans to raise 500 crore through Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP).
The company has priced Coca-Cola Zero same as its regular Coca-Cola. The new product will be available in 300 ml slim cans, 400 ml PET bottles and 600 ml PET. In Delhi, for instance, the 300-ml can will be available at Rs. 30. The introduction of Coca-Cola Zero comes after the launch of Maaza Milky Delite in Punjab and Kolkata, besides the expansion of Schweppes this year.
The board in its Annual General Meeting authorised PVR to raise the fund, PVR further informed BSE. It also approved management services agreement with its JV firm PVR bluO Entertainment. Also, Ajay Bijli along with five independent directors have been appointed.
According to a statement by the company, this is the first-of-its-kind distribution strategy of a beverage company, Coca-Cola Zero will be available on Amazon, besides being available across Subway, Inox Cinemas, and Reliance Retail for the first two weeks. The company hopes to target the urban population and plans to make the product available across 100 towns after October 5. In addition, it is planning to do sampling activities involving 1.5 million consumers. Venkatesh Kini, President, Coca-Cola India and South-West Asia, said: "We are finding that Indian consumers are more aware today about the choices that are available worldwide. We are on course to invest $5 billion by 2020, thereby providing beverage choices to consumers to complement their lifestyles and hydration needs."
The independent directors are Sanjay Kapoor, Sanjay Khanna, Vikram Bakshi, Sanjai Vohra and Amit Burmam. According to PVR, the 500 crore through QIP will be used for any inorganic growth or acquisition.
Multiplex Major Cinepolis Plans Fun Republic Buyout Mexican multiplex giant Cinepolis is in advanced talks with the management of Fun Republic for a buyout. A term sheet (a preliminary to a final agreement) has been signed. Fun Cinemas, promoted by E-City Ventures (part of the Essel Group), currently operates 87 screens across 17 cities in India. The group also has a single screen division that is run under the name E-City Digital Cinema. Fun Republic currently operates four lifestyle malls, in Mumbai, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Coimbatore. Atul Goel helms E-City Ventures as managing director. The deal size is estimated to be 300 crore and E-City Ventures is keen on increasing the EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) as valuation against the industry standards of eight to nine times.
PVR Gains on Fund Buying Shares of PVR has been trading 4% higher at 646 on BSE in otherwise weak market after Sundaram Mutual Fund acquired nearly over one percentage points stake in the company through open market. Sundaram Mutual Fund bought 576,202 shares representing 1.4% stake in PVR at 603 per share through bulk deal on BSE. On October 10, 2014 Sundaram Select Midcap purchased 347,519 shares of PVR at 603 per share, while Sundaram Mutual Fund A/c Sundaram Select Microcap Series VI bought 228,683 shares of the company at 603 per share on the BSE, the bulk deal data shows.
No further information on this matter has been divulged either by the Cinepolis management or by E-City ventures about the acquisition. Furthermore, Cinepolis that currently runs 100 screens across India plans to invest 1,200 crore and increase the screen count to 400 by 2017. The multiplex chain currently operates at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bhopal, Hubli, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Mumbai, Patna, Pune, Surat and Thane. The Indian multiplex market has witnessed some of the strong consolidations since the beginning of 2012, the latest being acquisition of INOX Leisure by Delhibased Satyam Cineplexes for 182 crore. Moving down towards the South, Carnival Cinemas acquired HDIL's multiplex chain, Broadway Cinema for 110 crore.
November-December 2014
TM-3
Fawad Khan's Khoobsurat Sets Record in Pakistan Fawad Khan's debut Bollywood movie Khoobsurat may have got off to a tepid start in India, but in Pakistan it is already setting records. "No film has ever made Rs. 10 million (Rs. 1 crore) on a non-holiday weekday and this is the first time it has ever happened," Amjad Rasheed who owns the IMGC entertainment company told PTI in Karachi. Khoobsurat has garnered Rs. 3 crore in its first three days in Pakistan, PTI reported. The Fawad Khan- starrer has not only outdone Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapurstarrer Daawat-e-Ishq but also Pakistani film Dukhtar, Nadeem Mandviwalla, founder of film distributing company Mandviwalla Entertainment said. Khoobsurat may have received a lukewarm response at the box office in its first weekend in India, but Fawad Khan has managed to become the talk of the town for his suave charm and good looks. Khoobsurat managed to gross around Rs. 11-12 crore in its first weekend in theatres. Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapur starrer Daawat-e-Ishq managed to do marginally better business in India at around 13-14 crore in the first weekend.
TM-4
November-December 2014
Both Khoobsurat and Daawat-e-Ishq released on the same day. Khoobsurat is produced by Disney and Anil Kapoor Production also stars Sonam Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah, Kirron Kher and theatre veteran Aamir Raza Hussain. The film also coincidentally bears the same name of an earlier 1980 movie, which garnered positive responses from audiences in India.
Carnival Group in Talks to Buy L&T Realty's Elante Mall Carnival Group is in stages of advanced talks with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Realty to acquire the latter's Chandigarh mall, Elante. Industry sources expect 1,900 crore deal to be inked soon between the two majors from different industry verticals. Elante Mall is spread across three distinct facilities - a retail mall, office complex & hotel with central courtyard to comprise 1.5 million square feet. A 215-room 5-star hotel Hyatt Regency is also proposed to be built on the same premises. Singapore-based sovereign fund GIC and private equity major Blackstone were also trying for a buyout. Considering Carnival Group has interests in hospitality, entertainment, media and multiplexes, this bold move was soon expected. Post acquisition of HDIL's multiplex chain, the Carnival Group has went on to
acquire IT park by the Leela Group in Kochi for 280 crore. The IT park has annual revenue of 30 crore through lease rentals from 53 tenants. Carnival Group currently owns 125 screens across the country and plans to further add 300 screens count by the end of 2015. This will be mainly through acquisitions. Carnival Cinemas is also trying to acquire Reliance ADAG's BIG Cinemas.
Happy New Year Joins the 200 Crore Club Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Happy New Year has stormed into the coveted 200 crore club with domestic collections, says a report. Happy New Year is Shah Rukh Khan's second movie in the 200 crore-club after Chennai Express. Chennai Express earlier made a lifetime business of 225 crore in the domestic market.. The other Bollywood movies in the 200 crore club are Dhoom 3, Krrish 3, Kick and 3 Idiots. Released on October 24, Happy New Year also set new box-office records for first day as well as opening week collections. Produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Farah Khan, Happy New Year is a heist drama. Speaking on the success of the film, Red Chillies Entertainment CEO Venky Mysore said, "Happy New Year has set new benchmark. We are grateful for the ongoing love and support of audience."
‘Make in India’ Harman Manufacturing Facility Harman International (India) Pvt. Ltd., the premium audio and infotainment group, announced the official launch and inauguration of its first manufacturing plant in India, located in the Chakan Industrial area in Pune. With a production capacity of 400,000 car sets per annum, this state-of-the-art facility will deliver cutting edge infotainment and audio solutions for its OEM partners in the country and will work closely with them to bring the ‘connected car’ experience to more people. The plant has been made operational in a record time of less than a year since the ground breaking ceremony. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ vision, Harman places a large emphasis on localisation, which allows it not only to customise solutions exclusively for the Indian market, but also optimise costs to meet the market requirements. A prime example of this is the TATA Zest, which is the first car on Indian roads to have an infotainment system designed by Harman in India. Located in Pune, the plant has the advantage of being close to a large base of automotive OEMs. At present, Harman has a manufacturing facility in China and another one in the pipeline in Brazil.
Harman Aims for $500 million from India Alone in the Next Decade The $6-billion audio and infotainment system manufacturer, Harman Systems aims to cash on the Indian consumerism and wealth creation boom by setting a target of $500-million to be achieved by the end of this decade. Dinesh C Paliwal, chairman and CEO of Harman International Industries has set his vision next on harnessing the tremendous potential of India's automotive industry and infrastructure sector. The audio system manufacturer who has been into providing end-to-end audio, video, and safety security management services for airports, metros, and railway stations thinks there is a lot to be done on infrastructure front in India. The audio product solution provider recently helped set up setup 3,000 cinema halls in Indonesia. The company has 65% world market share in cinemas and PVR is one of their major clients in India. Towards the end of this current fiscal, Harman India operations will be close to touching $100-million revenue mark. India is the third-largest emerging market in world cinemas post Brazil
expecting to clock revenues of $150million and led by China at the first spot to rake in $700-million gross. Paliwal on his recent visit to India met with the Prime Minister twice and has set ambitious growth plans from the Indian market to achieve $500-million in the next five years.
Kaththi Makes 113 Crore in 19 Days Post Release
Vijay-Murugadoss's Kaththi has emerged a big hit at the worldwide box office. The film has minted 113 crore in 19 days at the worldwide box office. The domestic collection of the film stands at approximately 81.5 crore, while it has fetched 31.5 crore from overseas markets. Kaththi has been listed in all-time highest grossing Tamil films. The top two spots have been taken by Rajinikanth, followed by Vijay with Thuppakki and Kaththi in the list. The film has performed fantastic business, not just in India, but also in overseas markets. It took grand openings on its release by surpassing Endhiran collections in Tamil Nadu. The film also fared exceptionally well in neighbouring markets like Kerala and Karnataka.
TM-6
November-December 2014
• INDIA PLEXING •
PVR Strengthens its Presence:
Largest Multiplex in Hyderabad PVR Cinemas, India's largest cinema exhibition company, announced the launch of its nine screens, 4K digital projection and 3D enabled multiplex at Kukatpally, Hyderabad. With a remarkable presence of four properties in the new state of Telangana, PVR now opens its 3rd multiplex in Hyderabad at The Forum Sujana Mall. PVR Kukatpally spreads across an area of 64,286 sq ft, being the largest multiplex of the state, catering to a seating audience of 2141. With this, PVR strengthens its presence in South India while reaching a screen count of 98 screens with a total of 15 properties in the cities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Hubli, Chennai, Kochi, Vijaywada, Cyberabad and Mangalore. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gautam Dutta, Chief Operating Officer, PVR Cinemas said, "Each launch, along with being a challenge is also a source of immense satisfaction and pride for us at PVR. When we thought of Kukatpally, which is a major residential and commercial suburb in Hyderabad, we saw a vast but untapped market in terms of entertainment and thus incorporated it in our expansion plan. We aim to provide a state-of-the-art cinema and look forward to offering an outstanding and enjoyable experience for our patrons".
PVR, with its robust expansion plans, presently has more than 450 screens successfully running in the country and aims to cross the mark of 500 screens with the motive of providing an international experience of movie watching to its audience. The multiplex chain focuses on providing patrons with an excellent cinema experience in both metropolitan as well as smaller cities. As PVR expands its operations pan India, this launch takes PVR's screen count to 454 in 102 properties in 43 cities in the country. Mr. Ajay Bijli, Chairman & Managing Director, PVR Ltd., said, "Forum Mall is a renowned name in the industry. We are honored to have our association with the brand. Whenever we think
of our various properties at The Forum Mall from Koramangala, Bangalore to Pandeshwar Road Mangalore, we take pride in the association, the superior design, tenancy mix, infrastructure, advanced technology and the world class facilities provided by the Prestige Group. The Forum Sujana Mall is perfectly located and brings together fashion, lifestyle, IT, entertainment all under one roof. We are extremely happy to launch this property and continue our treasured relationship with Mr. Irfan Razack and the family of the Prestige Group." "It was an amazing experience working with PVR Cinemas on this biggest project in the new state of Telangana," said Eranna Yekbote, Chief Architect at Era Architects and designers of this cinema space. "Our designs have been overwhelmingly fresh and extremely simple." Exceptional technology, superior service and state-of-the-art infrastructure has given this multiplex an edge over the others. PVR has brought the most scintillating movie experience to its discerning audience and the multiplex besides offering quality cinema viewing also provides a wide array of F&B.
TM-8
November-December 2014
• INDIA PLEXING •
Miraj Cinemas
Setting New Milestones!
Creating new landmarksin the world of showbiz, Miraj Cinemas, a well-known name in Rajasthan and Gujarat and a brand striving to expand across India, is here to unleash a delightful film-viewing experience to movie-goers.
Miraj Group, one of the well-known business houses in Rajasthan and Gujarat and a brand name striving to expand across India, forayed into the showbiz in 2008 after a successful growth trajectory. The Group has made a significantmark across verticals - Tobacco, FMCG, Stationary & Printing, Real Estate, PVC pipes & fittings, Hospitality and Engineering. Since its inception in 1987, the Group
has been setting new milestones under the leadership of Madan Paliwal, Chairman, Miraj Group. Here is a man whose enterprising ideas,undeterred determination and a sense of social responsibility have transformed a humble venture into a full-fledged and well-developed business today. At present, Miraj runs more than 20 group companies across sectors.
Miraj Entertainment Ltd Making Niche Films
Madan Paliwal Chairman Miraj Group
TM-12
November-December 2014
Miraj Entertainment Ltd, the film division of Miraj Group of companies, stepped into the entertainment arena in the year 2008. Within a span of six years, Miraj Entertainment Ltdhas gained a niche position among the rapidly growing production houses in India. Their first production, Queens! Destiny Of Dance, delves into the heart of an up-market Hijra community. Exploring a human experience that is seldom understood, the film represents the community in an
honest and dignified manner. The film was screened at 42nd Goa International Film Festival, 2011 (Film Market) and was officially selected at 4th Jaipur International Film Festival, 2012. Itwon 6 awards at Los Angeles Movie Awards-2012, including Best Direction and Best Cinematography. One of the main characters in the film is played by Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, who is an acting spokesperson of eunuch community in India and South East Asia at United Nations. Miraj Entertainment Ltdalso coproduced Tell Me O Kkhuda, starring Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Isha Deol, Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor. Sona Spa,starring Naseeruddin Shah among others,is a Hindi drama directed by Makarand Deshpande and produced by Madan Paliwal. Striving to gain ground nationally and internationally, Miraj Entertainment Ltd operates from a plush office situated at Andheri, Mumbai, whichcomprises a state-ofthe-art studio set-up.
• INDIA PLEXING • market," says Madan Paliwal Chairman. He further adds, "We are getting amazing response from all regions.We always encourage enhancing service standards and believe in providing latest technologies at all our operations."
A Complete Film-Viewing Experience
Cinematic Journey of Miraj Cinemas Miraj Cinemas,a division of the Miraj Group, began its cinematic journey in October 2012 by unveiling its first multiplex in Miraj Mall, owned by the Group, in the fifth largest city of Rajasthan - Ajmer. With two screens and about 100 seats, this was indeed a humble yet significant beginning. This pilgrimage centre, which is surrounded by Aravalli Mountains, is undeniably one of the major tourist destinations in the state. The successful venture paved way for 27 operational screens across 7 states of India within two years. After Ajmer,
Miraj Cinemas expanded its wings to Adipur, Vijayawada, Neemuch, Balaghat, Bhilai, Ahmedabad, Gulbarga, Panvel and Mumbai. Miraj Cinemas is one of the fast growing companies in the film entertainment business today. From tier II and tier III cities, Miraj Cinemas is now spearheading into the metros. "We envisage500 screens in another4-5 years and are aggressively working towards it. We believe that both organic and inorganic modes of growth are equally important. Organic growth will take some time but there is also an opportunity to explore local
In addition to the superior quality picture and sound, it is the carefully designed seating and the overall ambience that make the experience of Miraj Cinemas! "After all what makes a cinema experience so different and special is the comfortable seating and the amenities. When you walk into our multiplex you will certainly appreciate the attention to detailing and the optimal utilisation of technology that we make," observes Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, Head Operations, Miraj Cinemas. Amit Sharma, Director, Miraj Cinemas also agrees, "We are focused on enhancing service offerings in line with the emerging trends globally. We believe that the experience of picture and sound quality is similar in almost any of the good multiplexes but seats make the viewing much more comfortable. We installed the best of quality seats and people appreciated this."
Amit Sharma Director Miraj Cinemas
November-December 2014
TM-13
• INDIA PLEXING •
Miraj Cinemas has indeed transformed the experience of film viewing into a pleasant, very viewer friendly and delightful one. Little wonder then that Miraj Cinemas has a burgeoning number of loyal customers, who love being pampered. Popcorner, the in-house brand of cinema cafe, serves an exciting menu of flavoured popcorn, hot and cold snacks, beverages, and a variety of combo meals for the film buffs to enjoy munchies while watching movies.
Miraj Cinemas Thakur in the Commercial Capital of India Miraj recently started a single screen in Mumbai by the name of Miraj Cinemas Thakur. It is located in Kandivali, in the heart of the city. "The biggest USP of Miraj Thakur is the screen size i.e. 30'X72.5', which is the biggest in all of Mumbai. The ideal location of the cinema hall motivates students and familiesalike to spend their quality time here. Keeping this in mind, we managed a big lobby space along with a lavish
TM-14
November-December 2014
café spread,which includes savoury pastas, spicymomos anda variety of grilled sandwiches," informs Bhuvanesh.
Miraj Cinemas - Gaining Ground On September 26, 2014, Miraj Cinemas opened its first multiplex in Karnataka at Gulbarga. With 3 auditoriums and a total capacity of 938 seats, this is their second venture in South India. "We have presented a beautiful property to the guests of Gulbarga, which is situated in Shradha Mall and is equipped with all the latest technologies like Barco projectors, 7.1 digital sound, Silver screen and 3D technologies," informs
Amit and adds, "It will screen a mix of Kannada, Hindi, English and other regional languagesfilms such as Telugu and Marathi, all under one roof." Miraj Cinemas in Ahmedabad is in fact the biggest multiplex in the town with a total of 7 screens! Miraj Cinemas is expanding at a rapid pace and aims to reach the benchmark of 100 screens by the end of FY2015-16. It is coming up with a multiplex in none other than the national capital Delhiwith a seating capacity of 500 in December 2014.Furthermore, cinema screens in Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and a second property in Mumbai are in the pipeline.
• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E •
Redefining Seating Comfort Since
1921 A name to reckon within the seating business, Pen Workers needs no introduction. The name represents a passion for crafting comfort seating, well nurtured in the family for four generations now. To very few who go down the explorative lane to find out what went behind coining of the name ‘Pen Workers’ and rather than typical names associated with the seating business, Anmol Kashmiri answers the curious lot with a smile.
Pen Workers was set up in 1921 by Anmol’s grandfather, Munshiram Gulati, who had migrated to Mumbai the previous year from a village in what is now north-west Pakistan. Having started off with a small factory in Mazagaon in south Mumbai, Pen Workers now has one factory each in the north-east and north-west of the city, a factory in China and a branch office in Malaysia.
In conversation with Anmol Kashmiri, the fourth-generation entrepreneur who joined the family business in 1989.
What makes Pen Workers different from its contemporaries in the seating business is undoubtedly the dedication, commitment and passion nurtured and passed on through generations to bring innovation in every form to make seating a comforting experience to customers anywhere in India and also some regions across the globe. While other seating products are an extension to the product line, Pen Workers was established as a purely cinema and auditorium seating company. Pen Workers has changed its raw material from wood to polyurethane over the years in the
Intriguing Facts About the Origin of Pen Workers The name Pen Workers was coined in the early 1920s when the quality of wood used to craft a cinema hall seat was called the Pen Wood, in the likes of Burma Teak Wood, CP Teak variant and others. As the workers involved into manufacturing were crafting seats made out of Pen Wood, hence the company was called “The Pen Workers” with no seating clichés attached to the name.
TM-16
November-December 2014
Anmol Kashmiri Pen Workers
process of business transformation and evolving with the changing business needs.
The Business Sense Pen Workers is not just any other seating company whose core focus business areas start and end with cinema seating, the company provides seats specifically designed for auditoriums, stadium and now also a small section concentration on classrooms as a vertical to explore. Almost all major stadiums have seats made and designed by Pen Workers.
• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E •
Classrooms are a new vertical that we are keenly looking at to venture and grow. Pen Workers executes virtually a home theatre every week which brings in a lot of value to the company, since the workers at the manufacturing base try to innovate and customise products to meet their requirements. Pen Workers offer close to 10 different types of seating infrastructure for different seating arrangements at different places ranging from theatre, auditorium to classrooms. Pen Workers manufactures about 30,000 seats annually for both auditorium and cinema every year, which is by far the largest in the country. The company has been growing at a rate of 10-12% over the last ten years. Being not a high margin business, the gross margin has been about 20% though.
of public seatings in the Asian market. The company services most of the multiplex operators in Asia and with the alliance Pen Workers and Ferco Seatings together will emerge as the largest public seating company in Asia, having over 125 years of experience within themselves. “
Vision •
Looking forward to enhance its marketing base by not just limiting products to India but trying to create a PAN-Asia presence.
•
Seeking for business avenues and opportunities to move out operations beyond India and again not limit offerings to theatre and auditorium.
The Key Differentiator Anmol Kashmiri asserts: “Pen Workers provide a 5-year warranty on products which I think is the highest in the industry today as nobody offers this. It was possible after we started getting everything done inhouse and the production happened right in front of us. So we knew right what was being supplied and what was being sold.”
Guiding Business Philosophy “Pen Workers as a company is working together with Ferco Seating now to deliver good quality products and we do not believe in providing substandard items and claiming our price. Ferco Seating is a 30 years old company having production facilities in Malaysia and head quarters in UK and is among the finest and largest manufacturer
USP in Manufacturing The manufacturing front at Pen Workers makes the company distinguished in its way of working to exemplify commitment to deliver only good quality and not the substandard one, wherein most components are brought from the market then assembled and sold. The winning-competitive edge for Pen Workers in this niche seating business of course lies in the company’s forte of harnessing its manufacturing
capabilities and technical prowess. Every part of the seat is manufactured by Pen Workers in-house; right from plastics to plywood cutting to inhouse polyurethane moulding is done within the factory premises. Beyond designing, the company also does in-house powder coating processes executed seven times on the shop floor before final delivery to the client/customer. The company has never limited its activities to sourcing raw materials from vendors but gone beyond to invest money into buying high-end laser cutting machines for finished output. Pen Workers does laser cutting for fabric in-house and also fibre filling with machines for getting the recliners with fibre is done within the factory. The company has two conveyor belts for assembly within the factory. Kashmiri adds with pride, “As everything is done in-house it adds to a lot of value and quality, while making the production go on-time which is very critical nowadays. So that’s the innovation we have done in terms of manufacturing.” Anmol welcomes first-time customers to visit the seat manufacturing workshop in Goregaon (Mumbai) and other one at Vashi (Navi Mumbai) to understand how the close to a century old seating November-December 2014
TM-17
• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E •
manufacturing brand, Pen Workers managed to stay ahead of the times. This also helps win customer confidence in the company’s capabilities, talent and technologies used to attract new contracts and business opportunities.
Talking about Associations Pen Workers has recently tied up with Audience Systems, who are amongst the largest manufacturers of retractable seating in the world. Audience Systems has been into this business for close to six decades delivering quality seating comfort and is today a recognised brand owned by the Kotubuki group in Japan. “Considering Pen Workers now represents PAN-India we are
TM-18
November-December 2014
working in collaboration with Audience to secure some projects for the company for installation of telescopic seats, the latest in seating infrastructure to offer comfort seating at the push of a button, with an add-on flexibility to accommodate close to 200 people just with the touch of a button. This is the latest technology advancement and integration to enhance seating capabilities in a theatre or auditorium. We now also work with Ferco Seating and are bidding for big-time stadium projects” says Kashmiri. Pen Workers also works with OMK London, one of the largest manufacturers in the world for airport seats. They work in
• S P E C I A L F E AT U R E • collaboration to manufacture seats for the waiting areas in airports.
Recent Installations Pen Workers has completed recent installations in Satyam Cinemas, Wave Cinemas, Adlabs and some other regular operators. The company has been working with Fame and Cinemax in the recent past as well. Besides these, more recent installations are as listed below: •
•
Installation done for HDIL (now also called as Carnival Cinemas). This was done is Ghaziabad and Goregaon, Mumbai. Completed Adlabs project and also upliftment of one of the properties of Big Cinemas at Goregaon.
•
Executed projects for Satyam (25 screens in South India)
•
Completed installation for Wave Cinemas in Jammu, Meerut and Delhi recently
•
Besides installations, done metal frames for Pune Warriors, and installation of the Formula One as well.
Furthermore, Pen Workers has also worked on a lot of auditoriums, stadiums and home theatres – the latest being Sunny Deol’s experimental theatre. Classrooms being a relatively new area which we are trying to explore, the company has done classrooms for the Thakur Educational Trust based in Kandivali, Mumbai. According to Anmol, “ It’s
by far the best installation we have ever done.” Plans are also underway by the company to work on Bankway hall seats.
Projects Completed Over the last count, Pen Workers has successfully completed over 2,500 projects PAN-Asia and tried exporting seats to markets in Malaysia and Pakistan. The company also recently executed a project in Nepal this year, while the last year they completed the prestigious Dubai project. “We have also completed the Bangladesh National Stadium project with complete focus on hardcore manufacturing. Projects for stadiums keep coming on an on–and-off basis considering it is a different market with bigger projects. Classroom projects keep coming in around April, May and June (the holiday season) when all schools are looking for upgrading their facilities and infrastructure.”
Diverging Focus to Realty
Anmol Kashmiri with Tim Barr of Ferco Seatings Systems
TM-20
November-December 2014
Pen workers is setting up a hotel at its earlier factory which will take a year more to complete. It is a budget hotel, developed to take a better valuation of a company (looking at land and not only trying to running a factory there but by constructing a hotel). Strategically located at Goregaon East on the highway with proximity to airport and railway station, construction of a hotel in this area will help bring value into the business by capitalising assets. Anmol
explains reasons for foray into realty and says, “Real estate prices have made Pen Workers foray into the realty business, because the land value has peaked so much that it doesn’t make great sense to run a factory in Mumbai. So we had a land bank within the family and hence thought of constructing a hotel. This project will take another year more to complete from now on.”
The Innovation Feed Recent association of Pen Workers with Ferco is to innovate comfort seating by seeking inputs from the manufacturer on design, comfort and style. Pen Workers now has a dedicated R&D professional on-site to look at various development models and a quality monitoring expert to standardise processes of manufacturing and maintain effective quality control across the entire chain of processes involved in seat manufacturing. Considering every bit of the seat developed is done in-house, the responsibilities on a resource personnel are increased significantly as well. Innovation at Pen Workers happens by putting investments back into manufacturing and upgrading facilities and activities within the factory. Anmol Kashmiri claims with pride, “We doubt if there is any Indian who has not sat on a chair that is installed by us. In your lifetime, if you have been to school, watched a movie, enjoyed a drama, or been part of any sporting event, then you have been a patron of Pen Workers Seating Company.”
• TECHNOLOGY •
New Delhi will now experience
'Barco Auro 11.1' Immersive Sound Technology Digital cinema leader Barco proudly announced completion of its immersive sound technology Auro 11.1 installation at the PVR multiplex in the Pacific Mall, Tagore Garden, New Delhi (INDIA). This mall is claimed to be the busiest in the city, drawing huge crowds especially over the weekends. The PVR Cinemas at Pacific Mall has a seating capacity of 1,116 seats with six screens. Successful installation of this immersive sound technology will help build the multiplex's reputation, while distinguishing it from the competitors in the cinema business. "In our search for a technological edge that could amaze our patrons while strengthening the brands position as one of the hotspots for movie lovers, we couldn't ignore Barco's immersive sound technology," explains Tarun Mazumdar, Vice President Engineering at PVR Cinemas. "We were absolutely blown away by the system's exquisite performance, and are confident that this investment marks the first step towards a bright future for PVR." The decision to equip the theatre with Auro 11.1 sound systems in Auditorium 4 of PVR Pacific Mall was primarily because of the local competition experienced in the area. Initial installation being the first to adopt Barco sound technology presented some challenges during installation because of the unique speaker layout.
The speaker layout is based on three axes (width, depth and height) to bring true-to-life sound reproduction in the auditorium. This will enable the audience to position sound sources correctly in space without the need for more expensive solutions requiring extremely high channel counts and more amplification. Speaking about PVR Cinemas, being the first in the northern region to adopt Auro 11.1 Barco sound technology, Anirvan Ghose, Director, Pulz says, "PVR has used state-of-the-art Pulz Platinum Series Speakers for their Auro 3D installation in Delhi. The co-axial speakers provide a uniform response for the height layer. The system is calibrated through a high end USL cinema processor. The Auro 3D soundtrack can now be decoded within the IMB itself, thereby making the system extremely simple and easy to use. We thank PVR for choosing Pulz for their high-end installation." Mandar Gupte, Director Sales, Barco India expressed pleasure associating with India's largest cinema exhibition company PVR cinemas and says, "They understand the value of Barco solutions and continue their investment in technologies designed to achieve cinema excellence. With over 40 installations in India,
Auro 11.1 is already a big success in theatres in West and South India and we are excited that PVR has opened the doors for us in the Northern region." From PVR's Gold Class and Mainstream Cinemas to Director's Cut, PVR has made exceptional technology accessible to its audience. Currently amongst the top 10 cinema companies in the world with respect to admissions per screen, PVR has entered the World Economic Forum's List of Fastest-Growing 'Global Growth Companies'. Since its inception in 1997, PVR Cinemas have been redefining the way entertainment is consumed in India. It currently operates a cinema circuit comprising of 454 screens in 102 properties in 43 cities pan India. Recent acquisitions by PVR include Cinemax properties in 2012 to currently serve 60 million patrons at PAN India level. Brian Claypool, Senior Director Strategic Business Development at Barco said, "Evidently, we are overwhelmed with pride that such a renowned and respected company like PVR Cinemas selected our immersive sound technology to differentiate itself from the competition. We hope that this agreement will prove to be but the first part of a fruitful collaboration."
November-December 2014
TM-21
• TECHNOLOGY •
The Evolution of Cinema Sound! In today’s world, we can’t imagine a movie without sound. Being a crucial part of the cinema experience, sound is considered as important as the visuals. To get the perfect immersive movie experience, it is necessary to have good quality sound. We have witnessed an immense jump in technological changes in the world of cinema sound and projection, right from Carbon-Arc projectors, Xenon Lamp House Projector as well as 2K/4K Digital Projection. Cinema sound has changed from analog to digital, from mono or single track to multichannel 5.1 / 7.1 formats and finally to Auro & Dolby Atmos. During the post production of film sound, mix engineers spend hours of their time placing different sounds effects and sound tracks, according to the demand or need of the scene. It is essential to recreate the same sound image in cinema to provide immersive viewing experience to the audience.
Importance of Recreating Sound Image To recreate the perfect sound image as recorded in the film studio, it is very important to have proper acoustics and well balanced quality sound system. However, there are other factors that affect the overall quality of sound, which could disconnect the audience from enjoying an immersive aural experience. Some of these important factors include:
Acoustics When designing and working with cinema sound, acoustics is the most important factor to be considered. It is imperative to make no compromises when it comes to design or material. One should adhere to the suggestions made by the architect or consultant. Bad acoustics can result in reverberant sounds, damped sound, loss of fidelity etc. which can hamper aural experience.
TM-22
November-December 2014
•
When considering budget, remember: You can always specify a larger system for a smaller cinema, but not a small or low power system for larger cinema.
•
The placement of speakers should follow the standard design. This involves proper placement of screen speakers on the platform behind the screen with specified spacing, height and tilt.
•
Surround speakers should be mounted according to the specified height and spacing.
Room response should remain as flat as possible.
•
The room should be free from acoustical defects.
Alignment of Cinema Sound System
•
There should be adequate loudness in every part of the auditorium, especially in remote seating locations.
•
•
Background noise and vibration should be sufficiently excluded.
Remember that installing an expensive, supposedly good sound system and proper acoustics does not always guarantee good quality sound.
•
Cinema sound systems should be precisely aligned with standardised sound alignment equipments.
•
Final sound alignment responses should match the cinema curve or academy curve. This curve is popularly known as X curve.
Use of good quality material for acoustics as suggested by the consultant or architect is also important to achieve the properties of good acoustics. Common materials used for acoustic treatment are glass wool, hard boards or particle boards, sound proofing fabric, heavy drapes etc. Spacing between the walls of adjacent auditoriums should also be according to acoustic standards.
Sound System •
2. Sound System & Speaker Placement
4. Screen Quality
Speakers with high sensitivity and high power handling capacity with appropriate audio power amplifier should be selected.
•
1. Acoustics of Cinema Hall
3. Alignment of Cinema Sound System
•
This is why you should invest in good acoustics. Common properties of good acoustics include:
– Samir Mistry
•
The sound system should be capable of producing desired SPL levels with uniform coverage throughout the auditorium. It is advisable to have a sound system with good headroom.
Screen When it comes to sound and projection quality, the quality of the screen also makes a huge difference. A poor quality screen will lead to dull images and inevitably to the loss of sound levels as well as clarity. (The author Samir Mistry is an Application Engineer- Cinema Sound at Harman Professional India)
• BUSINESS TREND •
Re-released Kasturi Nivasa in Colour to
Recreate History in Kannada Cinema Kannada movie Kasturi Nivasa rereleased in colour has been drawing huge box office collections post release in the first week itself. It can emerge as Kannada industry's biggest hits to earn 2 crore box office collections soon. This reportedly is the cost incurred on rendering colour to the 40-year old movie. Good response in the first week of release indicate more screens to be added for the movie in the following weeks. The movie theatre Bhoomika in Bengaluru saw the audiences rejoicing in festive spirit to get bulk bookings for weekend show. It is quite rare to find such a magnificent welcome for a 40-year old cinema of the yesteryears by the audiences of today. The legend, Dr Rajkumar continues to hold a strong imagery on the minds of today's audiences, even post 8-years of his death. The black and white to colour conversion of Kasturi Nivasa, incurred expenditure amounting to 2-crore to KCN banners. sixty-artists were involved in adding colour, with all materials (positive, negative and the likes) acquired from the archives. The movie comprising 2.15 lakh frames and the costumes of the 1970s in particular took a specifc software to get the matching perfect.
Rajkumar was initially hesitant to act in the Kannada version of the film.
Dating Back to 1971 The Kannada-classic, Kasturi Nivasa was released in 1971 in black and white at a cost of 3.75 lakh then. Starring Rajkumar, Jayanthi, Aarati and K S Aswath in lead roles, the blockbuster hit proved to be a milestone in Rajkumar's career and also in the history of Kannada cinema. During the making, the producer stopped shooting after a day as he wanted the movie to be shot in colour, but on insistence from Rajkumar the movie was first released in 1970s in black and white. The movie directed by DoraiBhagawan was filmed in 19 days in Mysore and Bengaluru. The film with a powerful storyline, extraordinary cast and music by G K Venkatesh was shot in a total budget of 1.25 lakh in black and white of the total budget of 3.75 lakh. This movie was originally made in Tamil and directed by G Balasubramaniam. Since Sivaji Ganesan, the star of Tamil Nadu movies, had initially refused to act in the Tamil version of the script,
It was Rajkumar's brother Varadaraj who convinced him to act in the movie, according to director Bhagawan. The script was initially sold to producer Noor for 25,000 by G Balasubramaniam, and subsequently sold to K C N Gowda for 39,000. Post shooting for this film, Tamil rights for the movie were sold for 2 lakh to Sivaji Ganesan, and the movie was titled in Tamil as Avanthan Manitan. Sanjeev Kumar from the Hindi film industry bought rights for remake in Hindi with a movie titled, Shaandar for 4 lakh.
Issues Over Satellite Rights If sources are to be believed, selling of satellite rights for the movie will prove to be tricky considering there are two versions of the movie - one in black and white and the other in colour. The satellite telecast right for black and white is held by a broadcaster, while for the colour by someone else in the business. There is lack of clarity on laws in this issue. In case, the same broadcaster purchase rights for colour version, then no problem foreseen, however a bargaining quotient can arise if the right for colour is held by another holder with a nonobjectionable license.
November-December 2014
TM-23
• BUSINESS TREND •
PVR Live & PVR Superplex:
A World-class Concept!
Bringing 'Event Cinema' to India PVR Cinemas, in a pioneering step to bring alternate content to India, announced the launch of its brand new platform - 'PVR Live', which will showcase live and recorded events. In a revolutionary endeavor and to provide holistic entertainment, PVR Cinemas ushers in a new culture. This festive season audiences will have another reason to visit PVR Cinemas. In addition to watching movies, PVR guests will also be able to watch events like the best stand-up comedy shows, experience some of the greatest music concerts and spectacular ballet performances, on the large screen. As an exclusive one-time cinematic experience for its guests, PVR brings internationally acclaimed choreographer Matthew Bourne's '3D Ballet Swan Lake' and one of the most innovative and sought-after choreographers, Christopher Wheeldon's 'Cinderella - Dutch National Ballet'. For music lovers, PVR brings to India, never-screened-before concert films of two of the most popular music bands of their times - Queen and
TM-24
November-December 2014
One Direction. The magic of Queen’s historic Hungarian Rhapsody concert and the One Direction concert being screened is a worldwide simultaneous event, an unprecedented 70 countries worldwide on over 3,000 screens and 10,000 screenings for one very special weekend. PVR Cinemas also associates with India's edgiest comedy collective AIB (All India Backchod) for their act 'The Royal Turds' - a spoof Bollywood award show and 'Pretentious Nights' the stand-up duo who have set the Internet on a laughter riot using their reviewing skills. These special acts will help PVR create a new platform to interact with audiences through live performances. Commenting on these developments, Dharmesh Datta, Vice President - Head Alternate Content at PVR Limited said, "We're absolutely elated to bring this incredibly exciting concept of alternate content i.e. Event Cinema, to India. Through the use of cutting-edge technology and ground-breaking formats, we aim to engage audiences with specially recreated versions of some
of the hugely popular productions from around the globe" Internationally, Event Cinema has seen a return of an evolved, affluent audience and at the same time has managed to successfully engage the younger audiences. With growth of multiplexes, India is well poised to become a promising destination for Event Cinema. With a plethora of talent that the country has to offer, this format has tremendous potential to become the bridge between the rich Indian culture and our ever growing discerning audiences. Christine Costello, Managing Director and Co-Founder, More2Screen Ltd, London. More2Screen is delighted to be working with leading entertainment specialists PVR to bring three of our world-class productions to India for the first time. Event Cinema gives audiences the opportunity to watch a fantastic range of cultural content on the big screen and we're very pleased to partner PVR as they lead the way in developing this sector for the Indian market."
• BUSINESS TREND • Ideas in the Multiplex Business PVR, has constantly pioneered new innovations and pumped in world class ideas in the multiplex business. With the courage to take great risks for its patrons, PVR comes up with yet another world-class concept of the 'Superplex', PVR's biggest property with 15-screens in India. PVR brings its patrons various world class formats ranging from Imax, ECX (enhanced movie experience), PVR Premier, Directors Cut, PVR 4DX and PVR Playhouse. At a time when consumers have latest technology- equipped home theatres and devices, PVR attracts its patrons to invest their time by offering timeless cinema watching experience. After the successful launch of PVR Directors Cut at Ambience Mall, PVR now launches the second property of Directors Cut at Noida. Directors Cut is the final and definitive word on cinema viewing - something which a director puts together, his own version of a movie. The concept offers luxurious auditoriums complete with reclining chairs, table lamps, call buttons and a massive 7.1 Dolby digital sound experience. The concept promises to allure the connoisseurs of luxury and films alike. Along with this, it brings
Mr. Ajay Bijli, Chairman & Managing Director PVR Ltd receives the Star Box Office India Award
PVR Premier that promises next level premium cinemas for the audience that desires a great cinema experience and will pay a degree of premium for it. The interiors and identity of these cinemas are plush and sophisticated. PVR Superplex also offers the Imax format -World's most immersive Cinema experience with a state-of-the-art projection and sound system. The Superplex shall include a format of 4DX motion seats. It's another step
in enhancing the stimulation of the human senses to further draw you into the movies. The auditorium is equipped with high technology motion seats that move in perfect sync with on screen action. One can experience special effects such as the wind/ fog/ lightning/ scents that enhance what you see on the screen. Adding to this, ECX (Enhanced Cinema Experience)- a format that is high on technology with Dolby Atmos surround system with Harman Kardon audio, Real 3D and 4K Digital projection, ensures that 100% surround is captured along with unsurpassed picture clarity. PVR Superplex will also have a special auditorium designed called the 'PVR Playhouse'- an exclusive fun and entertainment destination for children. PVR Playhouse will witness a space exclusively for kids to be at their natural best. The auditorium will have half dim light - brighter lighting than other formats, cartoon characters both on and off screen and special seating facilities like bean bags to create a comfortable environment. With its newest innovation, PVR envisions to capture a wide spectrum of audience and provide peerless family entertainment package. November-December 2014
TM-25