Immersive entertainment company Dolby Laboratories has opened India’s first Dolby Cinema at the City Pride multiplex in Pune.
The company will open five more screens in the country — at Allu Cineplex in Hyderabad, LA Cinema in Trichy, AMB Cinemas in Bengaluru, EVM Cinemas in Kochi, and G Cineplex in Ulikkal (Kerala).
Dolby Laboratories already has a presence in over 1,000 screens across India through its Dolby Atmos immersive sound technology. Dolby Atmos, combined with the Dolby Vision dual 4K laser projection system, delivers the Dolby Cinema experience.
City Pride, owned by the Chaphalkar family, has constructed a purpose-built 310-seater auditorium specifically for Dolby Cinema. It will begin operations with the release of Jurassic World Rebirth on July 4. City Pride operates a total of 40 screens across Maharashtra. According to Pushkraj Chaphalkar, partner at City Pride multiplex, the rise of OTT platforms has increased the need for extraordinary cinematic experiences to draw audiences back to theatres, leading to the introduction of Dolby Cinema.
Friedrich Deininger, senior director of cinema and partner management for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) & India at Dolby Laboratories, noted that there has been a global shift towards premium movie-watching experiences post-pandemic, with box office numbers doubling. This trend is also evident in India, where audiences are seeking enhanced cinematic experiences characterised by vibrant colours and high contrast ratios.
Over 740 theatrical features have been or will be released in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos worldwide. To support the production of more local titles for Dolby Cinema, Dolby Laboratories has established a facility at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad. Previously, films had to be sent to Germany for processing.
In addition to the 24 Dolby Atmos theatrical mix facilities in India, Dolby has collaborated with Annapurna Studios to create India’s first Dolby Vision colour grading facility for cinema.
Moreover, Dolby has expanded its technology into the automotive sector, launching Dolby Atmos in the Mahindra Thar ROXX AX7L variant SUV. This innovation is a first of its kind in the global SUV market, featuring four-channel immersive audio powered by Dolby Atmos within the vehicle. Mahindra is also incorporating Dolby Atmos into its electric SUVs, the BE 6 and XEV 9e.