Move over multiplexes - now megaplexes are here

Mumbai, April 11 (IANS) You've heard of multiplexes. But now entertainment conglomerate Adlabs Cinemas has drawn up a plan to build 12 megaplexes in India where you can not only see movies but also cricket and soccer matches on screen!

Unlike five to six screen multiplexes, the megaplexes will have 11 to 15 screens with a seating capacity to accommodate 4,000 to 5,000 people in each of them.

Tushar Dhingra, chief operating officer of Adlabs Cinemas, told IANS in an interview that content available for viewing would not necessarily be movies all the time.

'Anything that makes for enjoyable viewing will be screened. The customers will even be able to watch a cricket match or a soccer game in these megaplexes. We will offer a variety of content and something for everyone,' said Dhingra.

Adlabs Cinemas currently operates 151 screens in 43 locations in India.

With the film entertainment segment poised for further growth that will spawn a new generation of cine-goers, Adlabs Cinemas, a subsidiary of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has conceived the concept of megaplexes.

This new endeavour of the company will set a new benchmark for the exhibition outlets of the country.

'India has the maximum number of film viewers compared to the Western world and the number is growing. But the number of cinemas per thousand people is still less in India. So there is enough room for growth and we plan to fill the gap.'

Dhingra said in the metros and other large cities, cinemas have already ceased to be seen merely as exhibition outlets for films.

Cineplexes, according to him, have become virtual entertainment hubs where film viewing is only a part of the outing for a family.

'Apart from movie viewing auditoria, each unit will also have gaming zones, specialised kids zones, food courts and other value-added services to draw in crowds,' said Dhingra.

He said five locations with massive sites have already been identified. To start with, while two of these megaplexes will be built in Mohali, Punjab, one each will be in Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad.

Dhingra added the locations have been carefully chosen, keeping in mind the high spending capacity of consumers in these key cities.

The company is now in the process of identifying seven more prospective locations across the country for building megaplexes. It will be fitted with the latest exhibition technology. High-end digital technology will be sourced from overseas to make film viewing enjoyable.

The company, which recently bought three properties in Mauritius that has a concentration of people of India origin, clocked an annual turnover of over Rs.1.66 billion in the fiscal year that ended March this year.