Bhopal, May 12: As per the changing scenario of modern age, human beings have becoming completely dependent on facilities and luxuries. Everything is becoming hi-tech. The trend of change has also gripped cinema houses and old cinema houses are either being rebuilt or renovated as cineplexes. Like metros cineplexes are now mushroom in small cities and towns as well.

It would not be an exaggeration if we say that the entire world has gone hi-tech. Almost everything is acquiring a fresh look in this fast changing world. Cinema houses are also not untouched by this trend. They are being converted into cineplexes and multiplexes. Earlier, this trend was witnessed in metro cities alone. But gradually, small cities and town have also come in its grip. The newly built or renovated cineplexes consist of all kinds of facilities be it good sound quality, total air-conditioning, better seating arrangements, hi-tech screening etc. This is the reason why the cinema houses which wore a deserted look till recently are once again reverberating with activities and buzz of cinegoers, especially youth.

The craze for cineplexes has also gripped Bhopal. Gauging the changing mood of youths, the owners of cinema houses have made amends in their policy old, decrepit cinema houses are being converted into cinema houses one after another. The beginning was made by Jyoti cinema house a couple of years ago followed by Sargam and Alpana talkies. Raj is also being converted into multiplexes and other talkies would soon follow suit.

With this in view, Bhopal Today Team talked to a cross section of society to elicit their views on the trend and how they compare watching a movie in cinema hall and cineplex.

How much ticket costs

There are two sections in the cineplex called platinum and super platinum. The cinegoers have to cough out Rs 70 and Rs 100 per head respectively for these categories.

What they say

These days everyone wants to watch a movie in a fully and well-equipped talkies. Keeping this view, we have converted our talkies into a full-fledged cineplex. This cineplex is equipped with all kinds of modern gadgets, machinery and facilities. It is centrally air-condition, has Dolby sound system and best screen which increases contours of the film characters and scenes. Even then we undertake works to furnish the cineplex with more facilities. Earlier, less people turned up to watch pictures but their number has increased considerably after we have turned the talkies into a cineplex.

Rakesh Narula, manager, Jyoti Talkies

I would not say that construction of cineplexes has infused a new life into the city, but this concept must go on. Film industry has been greatly benefited by emergence of cineplexes. Not long ago, filmmakers used to shoot a film toiling hard and putting all their best efforts. But they had to face discomfiture as cinegoers shunned their films due to paucity of facilities at the cinema halls. However, this situation has changed. Now film goers turn up at cineplexes in hordes. It is because these cineplexes are well-equipped and comfortable. Opening of cineplexes in small cities and towns is a good omen. Cineplexes have a lot of good feature including Dolby sound system due to which a cinegoer is able to hear even faintest sound like a needle falling on the ground. Vision is also very pleasing. The initiative to open cineplexes in Bhopal is bearing fruits.

Javed Khan, film actor.

What cinegoers say

Rajeshwari Vajpayee, a teacher with Campion School says she is total agreement with the concept of cineplex since it is a boon for cinegoers with lots of facilities. Seating arrangements are much better than earlier, dialogues and background music is heard with clarity since speakers are interspersed in the cineplex at various spots. I wish that all the cinema halls of Bhopal should be converted into cineplexes. Earlier, I rare visited a cinema hall to watch a movie. But nowadays, whenever I find spare time I rush to a cineplex along with my family to see a good film. Even if the films does not turn out to be an outstanding one, people are not get overly bored due to facilities available in the cineplex.

According to Amit Gurnani, a businessman, that condition of cinema houses in the city had become so worse that women used to avoid going there. As the era of cineplexes has set in, women folk have also started showing interest in watching the film on the large silver screen. Whenever I find some time, I prefer to watch a film in a cineplex. In my view, one should not mind higher rates of cineplexes in view of facilities available there.

Sanjay, a cameraman in the electronic media, says, 'cineplex adds to the joy and pleasure of watching a film. The concept of cineplex has led to a craze among the youths to watch the movies on the large screen. Now they have shunned seeing films on DVDs. Whenever I plan to watch a film with my friends I always go a cineplex.