Kashmir’s much-awaited first multiplex is all set to open today after its inauguration by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
With the opening of the multiplex, which is designed by INOX, in Srinagar, Kashmiris will get a chance to see movies on the big screen after more than three decades.
Earlier, according to an official, three large auditoriums have been built in the multiplex, with a seating capacity of more than 500 people at a time. The auditorium has been provided with the Dolby Atmos digital sound system giving the viewers surround sound for the best movie experience.
The Kashmiri handicrafts of Khatamband and Papier Mache have been used in the cinema hall, which stands out. A food court is also being made for the people visiting the multiplex, said the official.
Chairman of the project, Vijay Dhar, had said that the youngsters should get the same facilities in the cinema that they get outside Kashmir.
“We saw there had been no such thing here for 30 years. We thought why not? So we’ve just started. The youngsters should get the same facilities in the cinema, which they get in Jammu or other towns of the country,” he said.
Dhar said that the people of Kashmir have suffered from mental stress for years, and therefore it was important for the people to have multiplexes for entertainment.
Notably, J-K was a preferred destination for the moviemakers, which diminished due to militancy in the region during the 1990s.
According to the official, the locals here often went to watch movies earlier and hoped for peace and brotherhood to prevail in the Valley like before.
The setting up of a multiplex in Kashmir, which has seen terrorism for a long time from the other side of the border, comes three years after the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, the theatres in the Valley had shut in 1990 due to the rise in militancy.
