The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is bringing something special for movie lovers this year. Three iconic films of ‘Badshah of Bollywood’ Shah Rukh Khan will be screened in a unique inflatable theatre experience. The festival is organised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), in partnership with PictureTime Digiplex, a company known for mobile digital cinemas.
First-of-its-kind setup at Kala Academy
For the first time, a fully equipped inflatable cinema will be set up at Goa’s Kala Academy, one of the main festival venues. The festival will run from November 20 to 28. Shah Rukh Khan’s film Chak De! India, Darr and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge will be screened here, giving SRK fans an opportunity to relive his classics.
Films across multiple categories
PictureTime will install its inflatable digital theatre at the Academy grounds. Films will be shown across four categories: Inspirational Films, Indian Panorama Classics, Nostalgia and Children’s Cinema.
Along with Shah Rukh Khan’s films, the theatre will also feature popular titles such as Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail, Malayalam hit Manjummel Boys, Rajkummar Rao’s Srikanth, Rani Mukerji’s Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, Sooraj Barjatya’s Uunchai, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay!, Qissa and classics like Shatranj Ke Khilari, Teesri Manzil, Chandni and Kala Patthar.
Special screenings for children
There will be daily screenings for schoolchildren as well. Kids will get to watch films like Kaphal: Wild Berries, Gattu, Banarasi Jasoos, The Prince and the Crown of Stone and Naal 2. The organisers hope these films will help young audiences connect with cinema in an enjoyable and meaningful way.
Open-air screenings across Goa
PictureTime will also organise open-air screenings in several locations across North and South Goa. These events are aimed at making the festival more accessible to local residents and giving more people a chance to be part of IFFI.
PictureTime Digiplex founder and CEO Sushil Chaudhary said the partnership with NFDC and ESG shows how far inflatable theatre technology has come. He recalled the company’s first appearance at IFFI in 2017 with the ‘Bioscope Village’ and talked about how the technology has developed since then.
The Kala Academy inflatable theatre is expected to welcome more than 1,000 visitors every day. This includes international delegates, film professionals, students and cinema lovers. The open-air venues are expected to attract an additional 300 to 400 viewers daily.