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When one enters the sprawling premises of Kala Academy Goa, it is hard to miss a big yellow-coloured enclosed space with inflatable walls on its left. Take a peek inside it and one will realise that it is a cinema theatre with a big screen, rows of chairs and space to sit in the front.
This acoustic-enabled inflatable enclosure equipped with Dolby surround sound is scheduled to hold four shows everyday during the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa.
These mobile digital movie theatres by PictureTime, set up by Sushil Chaudhary, were introduced in 2015 and screened movies during the IFFI for the first time in 2016. Since then, PictureTime has been holding movie screenings, which are free for all, during the IFFI. Since 2018, its mobile theatres also has been serving as a venue during the annual Dharamshala International Film Festival. Talking about the idea, Chaudhury says their aim is to bridge India’s deep rural-urban entertainment divide by creating fully portable, inflatable state-of-the-art theatres.
During this edition of IFFI, PictureTime is screening a mix of children’s movies, recent hits and classics, which are being held in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG). Before IFFI wraps up, PictureTime will be screening 12th Fail, Teesri Manzil, Srikanth, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway and Uunchai, among others. “This year’s programming—ranging from Shah Rukh Khan’s classic Chak De! to acclaimed contemporary titles like 12th Fail and Manjummel Boys—reflects the diversity and cultural richness of Indian cinema. We are especially excited about the screenings curated for children and young students,” says Chaudhury and adds that they are also holding open-air screenings.
PictureTime, which has travelled to villages, remote tribal belts and smaller towns to screen movies, recently held shows of Farhan Akhtar’s 120 Bahadur in remote defence areas. Reaching remote locations often poses logistical and infrastructural challenges. “This often means dealing with extreme terrain, power limitations, unpredictable weather, and permissions. Educating people about mobile cinema as a legitimate exhibition format also took time,” says Chaudhury.
In the coming years, he plans to take Indian mobile cinema technology to international markets as well as collaborate with more filmmakers and festivals to make alternative exhibitions a mainstream part of distribution.
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