Kashmir's first multiplex opens in Srinagar with Aamir Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha'
The multiplex is opening on Tuesday in Srinagar and will start with a special screening of Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha. The Lieutenant Governor dedicated the cinema halls of Pulwama and Shopian to the people, especially the younger generation of Kashmir.
FollowAfter over three decades, starting Tuesday, Kashmiris will get to enjoy Bollywood movies on the big screen with the opening of a multiplex in Srinagar. Aaqib Bhat, a Srinagar resident, eagerly awaits the opening of the first multiplex of Kashmir in the Sonawar area of the city, which he says will put an end to his regular visits outside the Valley to watch Bollywood movies on the big screen. The 30-year-old said ever since famous businessman Vijay Dhar revealed his plans for establishing the first multiplex in Kashmir, he has been keeping track of the development.
Kashmir's first multiplex will feature three theatres with a combined seating capacity of 520 people. Additionally, there will be a food court on the property to advertise regional cuisine.Â
Dhar, who also owns a reputed private school here, said the multiplex will be thrown open to the public on Tuesday with a special screening of Aamir Khan-starrer 'Lal Singh Chaddha'. "Regular shows will start from September 30 with the screening of Vikram Vedha, starring Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan," Dhar said.Â
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The INOX-run multiplex is set to open soon after Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha opened two multifunctional movie theatres, one in each districts of Pulwama and Shopian. After being closed for thirty years owing to threats and attacks from militants in the valley in the years 1989–1990, movie theatres have now reopened.
"We will soon develop similar multifunctional cinema theatres in every region of Jammu and Kashmir," said Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, describing the event as "historic." According to him, movie theatres would soon be opened in Anantnag, Srinagar, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, and Reasi.
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Up until the late 1980s, the Valley was home to almost a dozen independent movie theatres, but they were forced to close their doors after receiving threats from two violent groups. Authorities tried to restore several of the theatres in the late 1990s, but terrorists foiled those efforts by attacking the Regal Cinema in Lal Chowk with a devastating grenade in September 1999.
(With PTI inputs)
