Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 12: As the ruins of old cinema halls continue to bring the old memories to life, Kashmir is all set to have a grand, exquisitely designed multiplex cinema coming up in Srinagar nearly after more than 3 decades.
With most of the works almost completed, the multiplex is set to be thrown open for the general public next month while its owners can’t wait to see it running soon.
With a seating capacity of 520, the multiplex cinema is coming up at Shivpora area and has got three auditoriums, lobby area along with other spaces set up to provide a source of entertainment to the people, especially youth.
The multiplex has been established by the famous Dhar family.
The Dhar family while talking to Excelsior said that the multiplex is being set up to revive the cinema with the prime focus of giving something back to the Kashmiri society.
“90 percent of the work has been completed and we are eyeing to throw it open for the general public next month-which will be a new beginning in the entertainment sector in Kashmir,” Vikas Dhar, son of Vijay Dhar, the owner of the multiplex said.
He said that the work is in the final stage and that the motive of setting up the cinema is to provide means of entertainment for the youth of the Valley.
“Youth of Kashmir have no ways and means of entertainment and we have set up the cinema keeping that in view; apart from a motive of giving something back to the society,” he said.
Concerning the specification, the multiplex-which has been designed by INOX-also has advanced Dolby sound systems installed, apart from food courts and other means of entertainment kept available for people.
It is to be noted here that the work on the multiplex cinema has been going on for the last nearly 3 years and was started when Satya Pal Malik was the Governor of the then J&K state.
The Dhar family said that the decision of coming up with a multiplex was welcomed by Satya Pal Malik as well as the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha. “The administration has been quite helpful and has been facilitating the efforts that were made in this way,” Vikas said.
The family is also looking forward to reinforcing the bond between Kashmir and Bollywood, which it said, was firm in the past. “It would be a contribution towards strengthening that age-old bond of Kashmir with the film industry,” the family said.
After the closure of theaters in Kashmir in 1989, Government made an efforts and re-opened three Cinemas- Regal, Neelam and Broadway- in Srinagar but a grenade attack on Regal led to death of a man forcing the closure of these theaters.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
