An author's journey to Hyderabad to experience Allu Cinemas, India's largest Dolby Cinema. The visit includes a surreal viewing experience and a heart-to-heart conversation with visionary producer Allu Aravind about the future of cinema.
The 75-Foot experience at Allu Cinemas: My journey began with a simple plan: fly down from Delhi to Hyderabad just to experience a film at the largest Dolby Cinema in India, both in terms of screen size and seating capacity. I'm referring to Allu Cinemas in Kokapet, where there's this massive 75-foot-wide display. Unlike a typical multiplex that I have seen, which is usually surrounded by a crowded mall, Allu Cinemas has the entire property dedicated to cinema. The moment I entered the premises, I witnessed one of the biggest parking lots I've ever seen. Then I met the staff members, who were generous and kind. Once I was inside the auditorium, I noticed comfortable seats and breathtaking visuals and sound that created a cinematic experience that was truly surreal for me. It is beyond anything I had ever seen and an absolute must-visit for every movie lover.
Meeting Allu Aravind
After that one-of-a-kind experience, I reached Geetha Arts with some nervousness. I was about to meet one of the biggest names in Indian cinema--Allu Aravind. I expected a formal interaction inside his grand cabin. Nothing of that happened, as he came straight to the reception area and greeted me with a warm smile. We shook hands, and he gave me a genuine hug, asking me if I had any tea or coffee. I was not expecting this gesture from someone who has defined filmmaking in India. What was supposed to be a thirty-minute, point-to-point interaction turned out to be a ninety-minute, heart-to-heart conversation around a shared love for cinema.
Fighting the screen decline
During our chat, he candidly admitted that the initial idea for Allu Cinemas stemmed from a place of insecurity and fear. He expressed concerns around a decline in footfalls. However, I could sense his deep appreciation for the collective, communal experience of watching your favorite actors over the silver screen. This is something I could relate to in an instant, as I am not in favor of modern viewing habits where we sit in a drawing room or bedroom watching TV, which I find to be a segmented and distracting affair. He is adamant about creating an environment that encourages movie lovers to step out and truly experience films the way they were meant to be seen.
The magic of Dolby Cinema
To achieve this, the philosophy boiled down to a simple tagline: 'Experience the Extraordinary'. The goal was to build an unmissable destination offering a spectacle that simply cannot be replicated at home. To bring this vision to life, he partnered with Dolby for Dolby Cinema. He proudly shared that while they had achieved the milestone of creating the largest Dolby Cinema in India--and in fact, it is one of the largest in Asia--their true ambition was to deliver the ultimate cinematic experience. He further mentioned that what makes the overall experience at Dolby Cinema unparalleled is not just Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, but also a fascinating piece of technology that tackles a silent enemy of laser projection visuals: dust-like speckles. To combat this, they incorporated a specialized, periodic vibration mechanism. This beautifully simple yet technically difficult innovation effectively shakes off the speckles, solidifying the experience at Allu Cinemas as one of the best in the world.
Art meets commerce
This is the same dedication to quality over quantity that I noticed is deeply ingrained in the legacy of Geetha Arts, which started in 1972. Through Geetha Arts, Allu Aravind has focused on a unique balance. When I asked him about his approach, he described it as an 'artistic desire with a commercial mind'. He believes in consistently pushing boundaries and taking risks, resulting in great quality that the audience will inevitably appreciate and support. Even today, he believes in this discipline while setting up a roadmap that's focused on making good cinema above all else.
A Pan-India legacy
As he looks to the future, that same standard of excellence will guide the expansion of Allu Cinemas to other cities and states. The plan is to manage the properties end-to-end to ensure the ultimate luxury and technical precision are never compromised. This philosophy of the entire operation is perhaps best summarized by a conversation I had with a staff member while exiting the office. I appreciated the massive stardom of Allu Arjun and called him the biggest star in South India. The staff member proudly corrected me, clarifying that Allu Arjun is a pan-India star. That's not all; he also said that the veteran producer's kids are as humble and down-to-earth as their father. I think fame, in their world, isn't about showing off but doing good work and continuing a legacy of generosity and kindness.
In the end, my visit turned out to be a remarkable day where I experienced the best cinematic experience at Allu Cinemas and met a visionary producer, Allu Aravind--a man whose profound humility makes him a true gem in the industry. (Disclaimer: The author is an expert in the fields of lifestyle, consumer tech, and auto. Views shared here are personal.) (ANI)
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