<p>The seven-decade-old Odeon cinema reopened its gates Friday to movie aficionados with a plush new look and much-awaited movies “Kaminey” and “Life Partner”. <br /><br />The shutdown three years ago for renovation after collaboration with the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)-owned Big Cinemas, the heritage property now called Odeon Big Cinemas reopened with six shows of Vishal Bharadwaj's “Kaminey” and five shows of Rumi Jaffrey's “Life Partner”. <br /><br />"Odeon Big Cinemas has been refurbished with state-of-the-art facilities and opulent interiors, which blend today's audience requirements with the theatre's nostalgic charm,” Tusshar Dhingra, COO of Big cinemas, told IANS here Friday evening. <br /><br />"It has taken us three years to build it and it's a passionate project for us. We have gone on a no-holds barred research in making it with great detail and pride. It holds a very special place for us and the initial reaction from the audiences is very encouraging despite there being no advertising about its reopening,” he said.<br /><br />"We've had two houseful shows for 'Kaminey' since the morning,” Dhingra added.<br />The upgraded property got its licenses and other formalities done Thursday.<br /><br />Converted into a two-screen theatre with a combined seating capacity of 592, down from its earlier 1,000, it is the first multiplex in Connaught Place and Big Cinemas' first venture in the capital. <br /><br />The new property boasts of white and gold minimalistic interiors, surrounded by olive green seating lounges. Noteworthy are the washrooms that house special dressing rooms, accessorised with personalised utilities. <br /><br />Dhingra was also confident of an upper-hand in terms of competition with the other two heritage cinema halls - PVR Plaza and PVR Rivoli - in the vicinity.<br /><br />"We will have a programming advantage because of two screens (both PVR properties are single-screens). PVR has a huge leg-up of being here (in Delhi) for the last 10 years but CP can still take three or four more screens and we are well-placed in that sense,” he said. <br /><br />A property of the well-known theatre owners Sahni brothers, Odeon came into existence in 1939 and used to screen English movies. <br /><br />This is its second makeover - it was first renovated in 1960 and inaugurated by then Indian vice-president S. Radhakrishnan. <br /><br />The first film to be screened post-upgradation then was Robert Mulligan's "Come September". <br /><br />Also present at the relaunch Friday was the star cast of “Life Partner” - actors Tusshar Kapoor, Prachi Desai and Genelia D'Souza. <br /><br />Apart from Hindi, the multiplex will also screen English content and world cinema, Dhingra added.</p>
<p>The seven-decade-old Odeon cinema reopened its gates Friday to movie aficionados with a plush new look and much-awaited movies “Kaminey” and “Life Partner”. <br /><br />The shutdown three years ago for renovation after collaboration with the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)-owned Big Cinemas, the heritage property now called Odeon Big Cinemas reopened with six shows of Vishal Bharadwaj's “Kaminey” and five shows of Rumi Jaffrey's “Life Partner”. <br /><br />"Odeon Big Cinemas has been refurbished with state-of-the-art facilities and opulent interiors, which blend today's audience requirements with the theatre's nostalgic charm,” Tusshar Dhingra, COO of Big cinemas, told IANS here Friday evening. <br /><br />"It has taken us three years to build it and it's a passionate project for us. We have gone on a no-holds barred research in making it with great detail and pride. It holds a very special place for us and the initial reaction from the audiences is very encouraging despite there being no advertising about its reopening,” he said.<br /><br />"We've had two houseful shows for 'Kaminey' since the morning,” Dhingra added.<br />The upgraded property got its licenses and other formalities done Thursday.<br /><br />Converted into a two-screen theatre with a combined seating capacity of 592, down from its earlier 1,000, it is the first multiplex in Connaught Place and Big Cinemas' first venture in the capital. <br /><br />The new property boasts of white and gold minimalistic interiors, surrounded by olive green seating lounges. Noteworthy are the washrooms that house special dressing rooms, accessorised with personalised utilities. <br /><br />Dhingra was also confident of an upper-hand in terms of competition with the other two heritage cinema halls - PVR Plaza and PVR Rivoli - in the vicinity.<br /><br />"We will have a programming advantage because of two screens (both PVR properties are single-screens). PVR has a huge leg-up of being here (in Delhi) for the last 10 years but CP can still take three or four more screens and we are well-placed in that sense,” he said. <br /><br />A property of the well-known theatre owners Sahni brothers, Odeon came into existence in 1939 and used to screen English movies. <br /><br />This is its second makeover - it was first renovated in 1960 and inaugurated by then Indian vice-president S. Radhakrishnan. <br /><br />The first film to be screened post-upgradation then was Robert Mulligan's "Come September". <br /><br />Also present at the relaunch Friday was the star cast of “Life Partner” - actors Tusshar Kapoor, Prachi Desai and Genelia D'Souza. <br /><br />Apart from Hindi, the multiplex will also screen English content and world cinema, Dhingra added.</p>