The Hindu : More multiplexes mean more entertainment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

More multiplexes mean more entertainment

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 13. The Director of Prasads, the city's lone multiplex-cum-entertainment centre, A. Prasad, has welcomed more multiplexes in the twin cities, saying it will only generate healthy competition and provide Hyderabadis with greater vistas of entertainment.

"Many more are welcome," he said referring to some multiplex projects that were coming up at a press conference here on Friday.

He, however, reminded that though there could be many multiplexes, "there can be only one IMAX for the city as the IMAX Corporation, as a policy, allows for a single unit of the IMAX format at one place alone." Multiplexes, he said, would be of great use to small filmmakers as they ensured that their product reached the people.

On reports about multiplexes in Mumbai and Ahmedabad not doing well, he said multiplexes worldwide were doing a lot better than the conventional stand-alone theatres. "Then again, people will come to theatres only if the film is good. And multiplexes have opened a whole world of opportunities for small, but good cinema," he pointed out.

Prasads, he said, had grown from a multiplex to a complete entertainment centre for families with shopping arcades, international chain fast food centres, food court, ATM centres and so on. "We have opened a games zone called the Fun Factory with 108 machines, including simulators, kiddie rides, battle tanks, carnival games and the State's first ever High Strike," he maintained. While the recently launched web-based ticket booking had evoked lot of interest, "we are on the threshold of launching the Prasads Club, a loyalty programme with various benefits and offers to its members."

New IMAX film

Prasads launched the screening of the fourth IMAX film after its inaugural in July 2003 today, with the Oscar award winning Apollo 13, the first ever 35 mm live action film to be digitally re-mastered into the IMAX format.

This is the fourth IMAX film being screened at the multiplex after Everest, Blue Planet and Matrix Revolution, Everest completing a 200-day run and still going strong.

The 2 hour 20 minute film captures the high drama of space shuttle Apollo 13, the third-ever lunar landing mission in history, aborting the mission in the giant void of space 2,05,000 miles away and returning home. The mission was aborted after nearly 56 hours of flight due to the loss of service module cryogenic oxygen and consequent loss of capability to generate electricity or to provide oxygen or water.

Apollo 13 re-creates the drama of the aborted 1970 Apollo 13 moon mission - the failure that showed NASA at its best - with nail-biting detail and spectacular visual integrity.

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