Frills and thrills of 4D

Having managed to reach the mall much earlier, we were moseying outside the main entrance of the multiplex, waiting to watch the Hollywood flick, Jumanji, in mind-blowing 4D effects. During this wait, as my gaze meander around, I could see folks revelling in taking selfies before the theatre's display board that listed, in embossed letters, the special features one could experience while watching the flick. Maybe, more than the thrill of watching the film in 4D, it was the thrill of promulgating about it on the social media!

There were a few, looking quite high-strung, in a state of trepidation, wondering what the experience would be like while watching this 4D movie. Their anxiety somewhat looked similar to the one felt on the night following one's wedding! Then, there were the rules-flouting callow dudes, carrying comestibles from confectionary counter, despite stringent rules against it. There were the fidgeting film patrons with flitting gazes, frantically waiting for the auditorium door to fling open, so as to fiercely charge inside, just like the ferocious bulls in the fighting arena.

Finally, once we stepped inside the theatre, we pulled out the foldable footrest, to place our feet comfortably. From then on, with the unspooling of the open credits, it was like being in a roller-coaster ride of wild fun and excitement. One could hear sporadic shrieks, squeals, soft screams and sheepish titters from the audience, watching the spectacular film in stupefied silence. The amplified sound effects amalgamated with awesome lighting flickering on adjacent walls, accelerated all the more by the adrenaline rush among the audience.

Many scenes were a veritable aural and visual spectacle. This apart, there were other sundry special effects, too, like an acrid-smell effect wafting across the audi twitching the olfactory receptors, giving us a feel of being in the wilderness. As if this ain't enough, the seats were made to rock and rotate movements, as we vicariously enjoyed the adventures of the characters on-screen. This was especially in the scenes where the motorbike-riding, helmet-headed antagonists chase the protagonists driving a zooming jeep or where the latter get attacked by the aggressive herd of rhinos while flying their helicopter.

In fact, we heard that one could even experience other exotic effects like the sprinkling of snowflakes, darting of air-filled bubbles, splashing of water, all of which depend upon their relevance and necessity in a film, which, of course, we didn't get to see. Nevertheless, watching the jaw-dropping Jumanji flick in 4D was unequivocally an exhilarating experience, which would remain ineradicably etched in mind all life.