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MUMBAI: With 54 UFO Digital theatres in Assam, UFO Moviez India Ltd., the world?s largest satellite-based digital cinema network, has ensured that audiences across Assam are able to view new film releases first day first show at the same time as the rest of India. This has also resulted in increased audiences in theatres, which in turn, has led to a sea change in the film distribution landscape. The Assam circuit (comprising the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland) has witnessed an almost five fold increase in territory selling prices for blockbuster films like ?RA-One?, Bodyguard or the forthcoming ones like ?Agneepath?. This is as compared to prices in the region pre UFO or early UFO days, when a commercial success like ?Mai Hoon Na? or ?Om Shanti Om? sold for Rs. 10 - 20 lakhs (approx) in 2004 - 2007.
In a short span of time, UFO Moviez has successfully introduced satellite-delivered digital cinema in this region, which faces significant geographical and topographical challenges and where local language cinema was on the verge of dying down. First day first shows of films across the region enabled by UFO Moviez? satellite-delivered digital cinema solutions have stimulated a sea of change in the cinema theatre business in Assam, particularly amongst the single theatre owners, who were facing survival issues.
Bhaskarjyoti Cinema Hall in Sivasagar district of Assam was closed for almost ten years, until UFO Moviez installed its digital cinema system in the theatre in May 2010. Now, after complete renovations, it is widely acknowledged as the best theatre in the region and enjoys regular houseful screenings of new Assamese and Hindi films.
The Assam circuit, previously allotted low priority in the distribution chain, had barely ten theatres that screened new Assamese and Hindi films. As a result of the delay in the delivery of physical film prints to the region, these theatres were often forced to screen films as late as two months after their all India release. All of this changed, when in April 2007, the first UFO digital cinema system was installed in Assam. Anuradha Cinema in Guwahati, the second theatre in the region to install UFO?s projection system on its premises in April 2007, is now a premiere theatre in Assam and boasts a best in class projection system that offers superior picture quality and brightness and UFO?s 3D system. Theatre owner Chinmoy Sharma says, ?UFO Moviez? digital cinema systems ensure that audiences throughout Assam are able to enjoy high quality first-day-first-show screenings of films, unhampered by weather conditions, terrain or any other technical snags or delays.?
Mr. Arun Mehra of Aum Moviez (the largest distributors of films in the Eastern Circuit) says, ?Increasing box office revenues have transformed Assam into a major territory for Indian films in the Eastern region. Most of the theatres in Assam now have improved sound systems to match UFO?s digital picture quality. Thanks to increasing revenues from ticket sales, all major theatres have been refurbished with pushback seats and new food courts. It?s an added bonus for film-goers in Assam, who are today willing to pay for the quality and value proposition that are a part of UFO?s digital cinema installations.? Adds Mr. Shankar Lal Goenka, Proprietor, Goenka Enterprises (a major film distributor based in Assam and winner of the Dada Saheb Phalke Academy Award for his services to the Indian film industry) says, ?The box office in Assam has expanded thanks to first-day-first-show screenings made possible by UFO Moviez.?
Theatres like Smriti Gopal Cinema (only running theatre in Jorhat region) and Sarma Talkies (only one in Pathsala town), which were about to close down due to losses, have become active and vibrant again, thanks to UFO Moviez? pioneering solutions. Post installations of UFO?s digital infrastructure, these theatres have undergone a complete renovation of the premises and now operate profitably. The Gold Digital Cinema chain is now present in the region and has recently opened a new theatre in Shillong, Meghalaya.
Assamese language cinema has also benefited immensely. Earlier, the average number of Assamese film releases per year was about one or two at the most. In 2011, there have been six Assamese film releases so far. In 2012, around seven Assamese language films are expected to be released. This growth is almost entirely due to the fact that there are now a much larger number of theatres that an Assamese film can reach in the first week of its release. For example, romantic Assamese drama film ?Raamdhenu? was released in 24 cinema halls across Assam early this year. The film screened to houseful audiences for two weeks in almost all these theatres and completed 25 weeks of screening to appreciative audiences. Producers of the film at Pride East Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. stated, ?We are delighted at the success of Raamdhenu and we hope that we will set the success ball rolling for the Assamese film industry. We share this success with UFO Moviez; their digital cinema technology platform and their support has made it possible to provide good content to our audiences on time and showcase the best quality in cinema.?
The growth of cinema in the region is not limited to Assamese language films alone. Refurbished theatres, enthusiastic audiences and a growing appetite for cinema has meant that even Bengali and Bhojpuri films now play to packed audiences in Assam. For example, Bengali film ?Romeo? recently released in 16 UFO theatres in Assam. Hindi films too now enjoy larger audiences in the region. Shahrukh Khan starrer ?RA-One?, for example, was released in 49 theatres in Assam in its first week. ?Ready? and ?Singham? released in over 41 UFO digital screens across Assam. Dabangg ran houseful for almost a week in all the theatres in Assam. The ?big picture? in Assam is only going to get bigger and better!
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