Kashmir gets its first multiplex cinema

Aamir Khan starrer 'Laal Singh Chaddha' first to be screened

Finally, the wait is over as Srinagar's first multiplex was inaugurated on Tuesday, ending an over three-decade-long wait for movie buffs to watch their favourite stars on the big screen.

While inaugurating the first multiplex cinema in the highly guarded Sonwar area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced that each district in the union territory (UT) will have 100-seater cinema halls soon.

“Cinema lovers are everywhere in Kashmir and cinemas have a great history in the Valley. There used to be a time when people in large numbers would come to watch movies along with friends and families. Cinemas would provide them opportunities to think big and dream big besides entertaining them,” the L-G said.

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He said Kashmiri people remained entertainment starved for the past three decades and today, the first multiplex will provide the people of Valley a chance to relax and entertain themselves.

Vijay Dhar, a prominent Kashmiri businessman, and INOX, one of the major film distributors and theatre chains, worked together to open the first multiplex in the Valley.

First up is Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, which was partly shot in Kashmir, followed by Vikram Vedha, starring Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan, which will be the multiplex’s first premier.

Asked about why Laal Singh Chaddha was the first to be screened for the multiplex project launch, Dhar said, “We were hoping to be ready by the release of the film, but we weren’t able to. Also, the film was partly shot at the school run by my family. And Aamir is a very good friend.”

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The multiplex has three movie theatres with a combined seating capacity of at least 520 people. The most recent sound systems are installed, and it is exquisitely crafted.

After the closure of movie theatres in December 1989, the first attempt to open cinema halls was made in 1998, when three theatres - Neelam, Regal and Broadway - opened in Srinagar.

However, after militants lobbed a grenade at Regal, in which one person was killed, the cinema hall was closed. This time, a mobile police bunker has been placed place outside the multiplex complex.