IMAGINE YOURSELF in a movie theatre, watching a high-speed chase sequence on the big screen. When a vehicle overturns on screen, you feel your seat twist and tilt dangerously too. When the hero’s bike rams into a barrel full of water, your face and hands feel moist as well. When one of the villain’s cronies falls headlong into a pit full of dung, you can also smell the manure in the air.
The technology that makes this possible, transforming mundane cinema-watching into a mind-boggling experience, is 4DX. With high-tech motion seats and breathtaking special effects involving elements such as wind, fog, lightning, water, rain, scent, etc, the 4DX format triggers all the five senses of a viewer, giving him/her a real feel of the action unfolding on the screen. “I first experienced the 4DX format while watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Mumbai. It surely adds a couple of dimensions to the whole movie-watching experience and is quite revolutionary,” says 21-year-old student Raj Gohil, whom we caught up with recently at a theatre in the national capital region, where he had come to catch an afternoon show of American superhero film Captain America: Civil War.
Movie-watching in the country is undergoing a dramatic transformation. It’s not just about the film any more. New target audiences are being explored and served, with a special focus on hospitality, amenities, F&B, etc. But the most exciting are new-age formats and concepts like 4DX, IMAX, VIP screens, children’s theatres, among others, which are keeping movie-goers glued to their seats.
“Currently, we are only converting Hollywood films into the 4DX format (at our screen in Viviana Mall, Thane, Mumbai), but the response and footfall have been very encouraging. We are now planning to launch more 4DX screens in major metros,” says Devang Sampat, head, strategic initiatives, Cinépolis India, a multiplex chain that first launched in India in 2009 and has more than 200 screens across the country today.
Interestingly, it was its Mexico-based parent company Cinépolis that first brought the 4DX format to India in November 2014 at Viviana Mall. The chain also recently launched its first ‘international’ multiplex in west Delhi. With state-of-the-art technology, Cinépolis @ Unity One is equipped with 659 seats along with advanced RealD 3D technology, a polarised 3D system that uses circularly polarised light to produce stereoscopic image projection.
Entertainment galore
Over the years, movies have evolved in terms of content and genres. So cinema chains in India have followed suit by offering cinema-goers something different. One of these offerings is the ‘VIP screen’ format. Catering to viewers who are willing to pay a premium for a luxury experience, VIP screens offers a separate lobby, gourmet food, recliner seats, a call button for assistance, etc. An example of this is Cinépolis VIP, which offers viewers a premium movie-watching experience. With ticket prices starting from R250 onwards, Cinépolis VIP is currently present in Thane, Pune and Kochi.
INOX Insignia by INOX Leisure—one of the country’s largest cinema chains with 107 multiplexes and 425 screens across 57 cities—also offers a luxury experience. Movie-goers can enjoy superior hospitality with gourmet food, among other things, at Insignia—there are 19 across the country currently. Then there’s Director’s Cut by film entertainment company PVR Cinemas. It offers gourmet food, dedicated concierge services for booking tickets, private screenings, etc.
Besides 4DX and VIP screens, another format that’s hugely popular is IMAX. A massive screen, custom surround-sound system, bigger-than-usual 3D glasses, etc, make IMAX one of the most immersive movie-watching experiences in the world. “Viewers get to experience films in a larger format, as the screen size is much bigger. The sound is also louder and better than normal screens,” says Rajender Singh Jyala, vice-president, programming and distribution, INOX Leisure. In February, the cinema chain announced a deal with IMAX Corporation, a Canadian-American company that designs and manufactures IMAX cameras and projection systems, for five new IMAX theatre systems in the country. These will be installed at existing INOX multiplexes in Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi and Kolkata soon. Expecting 50% occupancy for these new screens initially, Jyala says, “As of now, we plan to offer Hollywood films in the IMAX format. Once the number of screens increases and Hindi and regional content also starts coming in the IMAX format, the occupancy will surely go up.”
Earlier this year, PVR Cinemas, too, unveiled another of its IMAX screens at Noida’s PVR Superplex—a first-of-its-kind movie complex in northern India, with 15 screens in five different cinema formats, including IMAX, Gold Class, Premiere, 4DX, etc. “IMAX is meant purely for blockbuster films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Jungle Book, etc. We first launched it in 2012 at Forum Mall in Bengaluru and then at Phoenix Mall in Mumbai. Now, we are glad to bring it to Delhi-NCR,” says Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, joint managing director, PVR Cinemas, which has 552 screens in 47 cities across the country.
Another big plus for Superplex is the affordability factor, which is drawing more and more viewers. “At around Rs 250-Rs 500, tickets are much cheaper here, especially for a format like IMAX. In New Delhi, it would easily cost anywhere around Rs 700. In fact, I have come all the way from Vasant Kunj in south Delhi just to experience IMAX here and I really enjoyed it,” says 25-year-old New Delhi-based professional Srishti Tomer, whom we caught up with at a recent showing of Captain America: Civil War at the multiplex.
New kid on the block
In a bid to attract a diverse set of viewers, movie chains are also now paying special attention to the needs and preferences of the little ones. Think colourful walls, painted stairs, vibrant bean bags, a play area with a slide inside the audi, customised 3D glasses, etc. ‘Playhouse’ at PVR Superplex, for instance, is a special, first-of-its-kind theatre for children. With tickets priced between Rs 175 and Rs 275, Playhouse aims to provide children an interactive space to watch movies in. It also offers a customised food menu priced at Rs 80-Rs 180—expect kiddy popcorn, kiddy burgers, etc, with no caffeine-related products—for children. “Playhouse was one of the few handpicked global formats that we wanted to launch in India. It works wonderfully on two levels: first, it provides children with enough avenues to keep themselves playfully engrossed while watching a film in a theatre. Second, it provides parents peace of mind, as their children are in a safe and secure environment,” says Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Cinemas. The special auditorium, which was built at a cost of Rs 5 crore, has a total of 49 seats. In just three months since it opened, Playhouse is getting 70% occupancy weekly, adds Dutta.
Cinépolis India is also working actively to offer a special experience to children at its theatres. In fact, plans are already afoot to bring Cinépolis Junior—theatres customised for children—to India soon. “We are looking at about nine projects over the next three years. Cinépolis Junior will basically be a theatre where parents and children can watch a flick together. It will be a regular auditorium in terms of number of seats, etc, but the seats will be customised… shaped in the form of animals and so on. There will be a big slide as well inside the theatre,” says Ashish Shukla, director, expansion, Cinépolis India, adding that they will bring the format to New Delhi and later to other parts of the country.
Clearly, gone are the days when all a movie-goer wanted was a decent theatre and comfortable seats. Now, the discerning viewer is looking for a more rounded movie-watching experience. Javier Sotomayor, managing director, Cinépolis India, who recently watched the sports biopic, Pelé: Birth of a Legend, sitting in a theatre full of clapping and cheering fans in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, sums it up succinctly: “There’s nothing like watching a movie in India.”
He couldn’t be more right.
Note: PVR has a total 93 screens in New Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida, 84 in Mumbai and 63 in Bengaluru