How are these ‘balloon theater’ cinema to small cities of India

1896 short silent documentary of The Lumier Brothers A train arrives at La Sotat stationOne of the oldest films so far, is associated with a famous legend. The story is that when the audience first saw the moving image of a life-shaped train, they got nervous, shouted, shouted, and even ran back behind the room. Write Der spegelGerman journalist Helmath Karsek said that the film was “a particularly permanent effect; yes, it caused fear, terror, even nervousness.” However, some have questioned the veracity of the incident, including the film scholar Martin LoperDinger, who called it the “Founding Myth” of the cinema.

A similar story lives in Bomidi, a small town in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. Founder of Adi Dravid Sangam and editor of local film monthly Anbutheeban VanamRemember a time four or five decades ago when cinema was a rare luxury in the region. “We have a Ola quota, Thorough (Floor), bench and chair. People from 30 to 40 neighboring villages sometimes gather for screening, although many had never faced cinema before. ,

One night, a car in a film was extended directly towards the camera. Wrong it for reality, the audience sitting on the floor stood and waved them Prostitute On screen, such as trying to stop the vehicle. “It was a vision to see,” Anbhuthan Chakallas.

The city has now come that the locals are saying “balloon theater”. On 27 March, Picture Time launched Tamil Nadu’s first mobile Digital Movie Theater (MDMT) in collaboration with MFR Cinemas.

New technology

According to Arun S of MFR Cinema, some local people are concerned about ‘balloon theater’. Will it be impure, catch fire, or burst? “We call it a balloon theater because it is attractive and easy to remember, but it’s not a literal balloon,” they explain. The structure is designed using AEIE (Acoustics puffed enclosured), picture time custom-maids, thermoplastic polyurethane using a patent-flavored inflatable system made from the thermoplastic polyurethane. “It is fire-resistant and weather-resistant, which makes it completely safe,” Arun assured.

MDMT is designed for ease of setup and dyscanting, making it highly portable. According to Picture Time founder and CEO Sushil Chaudhary, there are two variants: ‘Portable’ and ‘Mobile’. “Portable screen, like one in Bomidi, is therefore designed so that each component moves. Except the washroom, no construction or civil engineering is required for it. We can transfer the entire theater within 10 days. We also need fewer permissions.”

On the other hand, the mobile version, is a vehicle-mounted screen that is capable of converting any open space into 120–140 seat air-condition cinema in just three hours. This flexibility allows them to bring large screen experiences in rural and undertaking areas with minimal infrastructure requirements.

A mobile digital movie theater in Ladakh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The team prefer high quality projections and sound. “Good sound requires good sounding, which is difficult to achieve with portability. Fixed places can optimize the sounds, but for a mobile setup, we needed a different approach. That is why we designed an inflatable system where the walls handle the acoustic requirements,” Sushil says. To increase the multiplex experience as per the request of local partner MFR cinema at Bomidi Theater, an additional acoustic wall costing 20 million is included.

Sushil says, “Despite not having a certain structure, our portable theaters may have a longer lifetime of up to 15 years with proper maintenance.”

Bringing cinema for all

Sushil’s vision addresses India’s severe screen deficiency. “Despite producing around 2,000 films annually, only 500 are released about 500,” he says, “five states, including five southern states and Maharashtra, accounts for 80% of India’s cinema screen.”

In contrast, the US has 45,000 screens for 315 million people, while China expanded from 7,000 to 80,000 screens in more than a decade. Meanwhile, India’s screen count has come down from 21,000 to 9,000 in 1983 today. “High real estate prices and regulatory challenges are the major obstacles,” Sushil explains, “Portable, mobile cinema solutions can ignore these obstacles without renouncing quality.”

Their goal is ambitious: expanding from 9,000 to 90,000 screens in a decade. “If we can manufacture a cinema under ₹ 1 crore, with an operational cost below ₹ 2 lakh, it becomes a high-ROI project,” they say. It will democratized the reach of cinema and get more films a dramatic release.

Inside Bomidi’s mobile digital movie theater. Photo Credit: Shibu Narayan

However, picture time trip has not occurred without failures. “Before Covid-19, we had 37 portable screens,” Sushil misses. “When the epidemic was a hit, most were converted into ICU units and health facilities. Many hospitals found them so useful that they requested them to keep them permanently.” Post-pandemic, he has rebuilt 15 portable theaters, soon with the 16th opening. It also has six mobile screens.

The MDMT concept is also changing the reach of cinema in extreme places. For example, in Ladakh, where the temperature falls to -28 ° C, the company designed a weather resistant screen. Sushil says, “It has been running successfully for four years.”

Meanwhile, there is some discussion about ‘Balloon Theater’, back in Bomidi. Murugan R, which runs an oil shop in the city, says, “Long, the poem theater was our only option. But this balloon theater, they say that the sound is good, the picture is incredibly clear, and there are interiors like multiplexes in the cities. It is a lot for our city yet. I have not yet got a chance to go, but I am definitely planning.”