M. Raghuram , for The Hindu (Metroplus)
March 25: Looks like good old Mangalore is also catching up with the worldwide trend in cinemas. The city is going to get its first multiplex, complete with plush seats, air-conditioning, swanky interiors, Dolby, DTS and IMAX and a food court, thanks to Adlabs Films of Mumbai.
With a total of three screens showing different movies and a capacity of 1,070 seats, the multiplex is the latest among the ones Adlabs (now an Ambani enterprise) is promoting along with local Ganapathy Pai and Sons (of 30 Beedis fame).
The blue and red interiors with soft lighting and the state-of-the-art projection and surround sound promise film buffs a New Age experience. For a price, of course.
Bala Shetty, who is overseeing the completion of the project, says: "The promoters want all sections of society to afford the ticket. Hence we have priced them at Rs. 40, 60 and 80 from Monday to Thursday and Rs. 40, 80 and 110 on weekends. This pricing should enthuse all classes of movie buffs to come at least once a week."
What is special about the projection is the special sound reader embedded in the film to lend a different movie experience. It is in fact the same technology used in the U.S. today. The special programme department of Adlabs Films in Mumbai selects the films, which means that Mangaloreans will have the privilege to watching both Indian and international films simultaneously with the rest of the world.
Adlabs Films, founded by Manmohan Shetty and Vasanji Mamania in 1978, initially catered to the ad film market before moving on to processing full-length feature films.
It set up the 518-seat IMAX dome theatre, (the largest in the world) along with Mumbai's first multiplex (four screens and 1,314 seats) in 2000.
Movie-going all over the world is changing from single-screen cinemas to multiplexes. When you go to a multiplex, make sure you have a deep pocket. Apart from the mandatory popcorn, you might be tempted to stop by at the snack bar. A multiplex then is a multi-screen entertainment complex showing multiple movies under one roof with other types of supporting businesses such as a food court, shopping arcade and other entertainment avenues.
In the metros, single screen cinema halls are being converted into multiplexes. Adlabs itself is converting Mumbai's famous Metro, built in 1930, into a four-screen multiplex.
The Adlabs multiplex is being inaugurated on March 24.