SRI NAGAR: The long wait for revival of cinema culture in militancy-hit Kashmir is over. The cinema halls will reopen for the public in Srinagar after 32 years today and the first-ever multiplex theatre would be screening two movies including Hritik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan starrer Vikram Vedha simultaneously in two halls.
The INOX multiplex theatre at the highly secured Shivpora area of uptown Srinagar is being thrown open to the public today, said multiplex’s owner and prominent businessman Vijay Dhar.
The multiple is having three movie theatres with seating capacity of 520 seats. However, initially only two theatres would be thrown open.
It would be after 32 years that cinema halls will reopen in the Valley. After the eruption of militancy in 1990, militants had ordered closure of cinema halls in Kashmir. The government had in 1999 made an attempt to re-open three cinema halls but the attempt did not succeed.
Dhar, who also runs Delhi Public School in Srinagar, said four shows would be screened in each theatre of the multiplex daily from 10 am.
“On the first day, two movies, Hritik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan starrer Vikram Vedha and south Indian film Ponniyin Selvan 1 (PS1) would be screened in two halls simultaneously,” he said. The price of tickets ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 500.
Dhar’s son Vikas Dhar said state-of-the-art equipment has been installed at the multiplex and the latest Bollywood, Hollywood and south Kashmir movies would be screened in the multiplex on the date of their release across the country.
On September 20, the multiplex was inaugurated by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and special screening of Aamir Khan starrer Laal Singh Chadda was held.
When asked whether he expects people to visit multiplex after no cinema halls in the Valley for three decades, he said, “People of Kashmir have a relationship of love with the Indian film industry. Even if this love remained dormant, it will be rekindled now”.
With the opening of multiplex, the cinema culture will be revived in the Valley.