Indian theatres are redefining cinema viewing

India is a country where Religion, Cinema and Cricket form the RCC (reinforced concrete construction) of our lifestyle and outlook. It is rare to find an Indian who is not smitten by any of these. Every second Indian is in love with Cinema and especially a film that offers drama, action, emotions and entertainment all rolled into one.

The world of entertainment is now at one’s fingertips, thanks to the high-speed internet, mobile phone technology and hundreds of apps, movie viewing can be done anywhere at any time. These days, the time gap between a movie release and a satellite release is becoming smaller and thus giving movie lovers lesser reasons to flock to a theatre.

How then are movie theatres responding to this changed scenario? What are they doing to ensure that movie-goers keep flocking the theatres.

Given that visiting a theatre is seen as an expense by the average movie-goer and they keep lamenting about the cost of food at movie theatres and the ticket prices.

I believe that INOX at R city Ghatkopar recognized this and they responded by identifying what a customer needs and made changes in the movie-viewing experience. In other words, they took up the mantle to change customer perceptions & offer them a reason to return to the theatre – again and again.

INOX at R City, Ghatkopar brings you a never-before, complete 7-star experience that will leave you wanting more.

I visited the INOX R City, Ghatkopar property to watch Jurassic World with my kids. We reached an hour early to beat the traffic. While my kids kept themselves busy, I took a tour of the space.

Huge & attractive entrance lobby

They have put up huge LED panels that play movie trailers throughout the day. It gives a reason for passersby to stop and take a look. In a very subtle way lures them to inquire about the next show.

A coffee shop: chill, even if you don’t have a ticket 🙂

Now, there is where they have shown tremendous intelligence while designing this space at INOX R City, Ghatkopar. The movie booking counter is at the far right side of the entrance. And, at the entrance, one is greeted with a huge lobby with spacious sofas, tables and a coffee shop. The best part is, one can chill at the coffee shop even if they don’t have a ticket.

Interactive Game Kiosk: Play word games on a huge touchscreen

This was the best part of the visit. A huge LED touchscreen kept my elder son busy with word games, the younger one kept prancing around as she recognized the letters. They were completely engrossed for about 20 minutes until they noticed the next awesome feature of the theatre.

550 sq feet LED video wall with larger than life,  real-life content display

My son & I were lazing on the couches when we suddenly noticed a huge screen with dinosaurs walking across it. Suddenly, we saw my daughter darting across the screen with a dinosaur just beside her. OMG! We almost jumped in our seats, only to realise that this is one more awesome feature of this place. It is as close to real life as possible. Each and every person in the lobby engaged with the screen for a minimum of 5 minutes. My kids were glued for the next 25 minutes.

Interactive automated Box Office

One can beat the line by booking tickets at this kiosk. Browse, choose & pay for tickets using the interactive screen. An official is present to help out as well.

Kiddles – A specially designated area for kids

One of the problems that parents face is taking care of the kids just before the movie. The Kiddles fun zone is every parent’s prayer answered. This space in the lobby is for young children to spend time playing games and engaging in some creative activities, before the movie.

INSIGNIA

INSIGNIA is INOX’s signature experience, it takes luxury entertainment to another level, in real terms. Imagine sitting in a 5-star lobby before the movie and then entering the theatre to special large seating created for small groups, a gourmet menu curated by Chef Vicky Ratnani, butler-on-call and service by staff dressed in designer uniforms by Arjun Khanna, etc. Simply amazing, royal treatment guaranteed!

Enough said about the exterior & booking, what about the actual movie experience?

In a typical movie theatre, one is always stumbling to find seats in the dark, aisle spaces are small, the view is obstructed if a taller person is sitting ahead of you and space between two rows is dismal.  INOX has ensured that all this and more is eliminated. Huge aisles, comfortable seating and sufficient leg space is the hallmark of this property. The best part is minimal distractions by the staff, in fact, we hardly noticed the staff around though they were always there glued in to respond to our needs.

The screen is huge…H-U-G-E….while watching Jurassic World, we actually felt as though we were inside the film!! (okay, a bit of an exaggeration ;)) but yes, the experience is amazing! The sound quality is out of this world and even the smallest sounds are picked up and dished out to us. A complete, immersive experience indeed. During the film, I jumped up and almost squealed out of fear – that is how real the scene appeared.

Overall, a fantastic experience at one of the few child-friendly theatres in Mumbai. Must visit if you are a passionate movie lover who loves a holistic cinematic experience.

Movie viewing is changing and it is nice to see brands like INOX responding to the changes in a positive manner. A holistic 7-star movie viewing experience in a child-friendly environment is perfect for a cinema lover with the budgets to spend on a weekend outing.

Penned by:

Mayura Amarkant

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. INOX Movies or their counterparts have not paid me a single rupee for writing this review. I watched the film, Jurassic World – The Fallen Kingdom with my kids and since I loved the experience, I took out time to write this review.