Indian filmgoers have endured through much to see their favorite cinema, right from projections on a sheet in the open air in villages to screenings in ramshackle halls across the Diaspora. Early immigrants tell of renting small tattered theaters or community centers for a single showing of an Indian film to which starved filmiholics would drive from miles to get sustenance.
Over the years desi films have shown in rundown neighborhood theaters and sometimes as a one time deal and one time treat at posh locations such as the Virgin Theater in Times Square or the uptown IMAX Theater. Generally Indian movies have never had a home of their own.
Some years back when I went to see the glossy multi-starrer ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam’ at a Long Island theater, the experience was utterly ruined by the atrocious state of the cinema hall. There was heavy mildew and the smell was so disturbing that I wondered why no one else seemed bothered. Perhaps they were just thrilled to actually have a neighborhood theater screening a hot new Bollywood movie!
The film was showing in two different screening rooms and the walls between were so thin that you could hear the dialogues from the other room, and since one showing had started earlier than the other, it was a real babble of voices and made for a very confused cinema experience. What was happening on screen really suffered from the distractions around it.
So it is with pleasure that I tell readers about the debut of the BIG Cinemas chain in New York. Now we have not one, not two but a chain of 24 state-of-the-art theaters across the US dedicated to Indian films. The opening even brought out former Mayor David Dinkins, giving the event a quintessentially New York air. Also present were Joe Paletta, Senior Vice president of Reliance Mediaworks, and Phil Zacharetti of Phoenix Cinemas, which will be managing the chain.
In Manhattan, the former ImaginAsian Theater has been refurbished and renovated to become BIG Cinemas, which is a division of Reliance Media Works and part of Reliance ADA Group, India’s largest cinema chain. It has over 516 screens across India, US, Malaysia and Netherlands and caters to over 35 million consumers.
Yes, mildew and thin walls and poor sound will hopefully be a thing of the past. This theater has plush seats you can sink into, great sound and all the trappings that you need for the movie going experience. BIG Cinemas has acquired over 180 screens in 24 cities across East Coast, Midwest and the West Coast, and these have all been renovated. It is estimated that this chain accounts for 20-35 percent of Hindi and over 70 percent of Tamil and Telegu features box office collections
In a savvy move Reliance MediaWorks is not limiting itself to only showing Bollywood and regional movies but also international independent and multicultural cinema which will certainly keep the popcorn popping. The movies it’s currently showing are Falling for Grace, a Chinatown romantic comedy, and CA$H, a psychological thriller.
That there was a need is obvious from the surprising figures. According to Uday Kumar, North America business head for Reliance/BIG Cinemas, “We started two and a half years ago with four people, now the number is 480. We had a $ 2 ½ million dollar business doing distribution – it is a 45 million dollar business this year – all built during the so-called recession.”
Kumar credits the Reliance DNA which made such a chain possible but also the film-hungry audiences which turned up for screenings at short notice. Big Cinemas, he says, was born of a need to do something for these diehard audiences – he estimates that there were 150 distributors for Telegu films, all software engineers in their day jobs. Now these audiences will be able to replicate the mainstream experience while watching their favorite regional films. Fortunately now there are enough local ethnic print media, television and radio channels as well as social media apps to help pass the word and bring the audiences in.
Other treats in store: Bargain Tuesdays where all screenings are $5 all day; the theaters will also be available for hosting cultural, social and corporate events; and knowing that the other great love of Indians is cricket, Big Cinemas will also be showing IPL cricket matches live on the big screen. Yes, the Indian community has come a long way – with finally a theater chain of its own. Time to bring out the samosas!
