A mobile multiplex cinema hall was recently inaugurated in Guwahati by actors Nipon Goswami and Zerifa Wahid at the Assam Engineering Institute playground.
The idea is to take cinema to places where movie theatres do not exist.
“It will take Assamese cinema door-to-door at minimum cost. People living in remote villages can watch any film released across India at their courtyard. But we will give importance to Assamese cinema,” said Sanjive Narain of AM Television group of companies. “The LCD screen measures 20 feet by 12 feet and offers complete digital format with Dolby Stereo sound.”
“We will show quality national and international and award-winning movies here on the same date they are released,” Narain said.
“The mobile multiplex cinema hall is a new concept brought to India by Picture Times company recently. It is an all-weather structure which is fire and water-resistant. We can immediately fold the structure during a storm,” said Narain.
The structure was developed by an American company with which Picture Times tied up. In Assam, Prag tied up with Picture Times to bring the Prag Picture Times mobile multiplex cinema hall.
“After the development of this concept in India, Assam adopted it along with Goa and Chhattisgarh. We have tried to keep the ticket prices in the Rs 60 to Rs 100 range. We are also developing an app for transparent online ticketing,” said Narain.
The mobile multiplex cinema hall has a projector, advanced technological equipment and can seat 120 people in an air-conditioned balloon-like structure filled with air through a motor supported by a generator. “The seats are comfortable but we are trying to make it a more comfortable viewing experience. We can carry the structure, the crew members and the equipment in a single truck ” said Narain.
“The multiplex requires a 1,000-square feet area to be set up and can be installed in two hours. We have 12 people, including a technical assistant, for setting up the hall,” said Dadumoni Borah, an official of the company. He said the mobile hall would stay for two-three days in a particular place, reports The Telegraph.
“We are trying to have one more hall by the end of this month and 10 by the end of this year,” Narain said.
Singer Zubeen Garg, visited the hall. National award-winning filmmaker Rima Das, was felicitated at the inauguration.
A radio jockey of All India Radio, Guwahati, Ratna Das had spread the mobile hall concept in Assam in 2013.