KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, July 27: Renowned Hollywood blockbusters “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” are receiving an overwhelming response from audiences in Srinagar, as per the testimony of Vikas Dhar, the proprietor of INOX Cinema theatre.
He is optimistic that the trend will persist with the release of “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani,” given the massive fan following of its director, Karan Johar, in the region. Having fulfilled his father’s long-cherished dream of establishing a three-screen cinema hall in Srinagar, despite the challenges posed by terror groups that had previously banned or destroyed most of the theaters in the city, Dhar hopes that more theaters will emerge in the Valley soon.
Dhar stated: “We were requested to ensure that the movie (‘Rocky Aur Rani…’) releases simultaneously with its worldwide and pan-India premieres. This is the first time we have three Hollywood films running simultaneously. We are eagerly anticipating the release of ‘Rocky Aur Rani…’ this week. Karan Johar enjoys a vast fan base in Kashmir, and I believe the film will have a more lasting impact than ‘Barbie’ or ‘Oppenheimer’.”
He recollected how the news of a multiplex opening in Srinagar spread through word-of-mouth, drawing crowds to watch Shah Rukh Khan’s starrer “Pathaan” earlier in the year. “My hope is that more cinema houses come up. It is not yet ingrained in our culture to casually decide to go to the cinema in the evenings, check the movie screening, get tickets, have dinner, and return. Currently, we see people with specific interests in particular movies coming to watch them,” added the 56-year-old.
Such was the enthusiasm surrounding “Pathaan” that a viewer even asked if he could bring a chair from home due to the tickets being sold out. “People were unaware of the presence of a multiplex here before ‘Pathaan,’ and they flocked in. Word of mouth played a significant role, and we hope the same will happen for ‘Rocky Aur Rani…’ and ‘Jawan,’ which is also set to be released. Word of mouth spreads so rapidly that people start coming in, asking for tickets. We had to turn them down as all shows were fully booked. One person said, ‘I’ll bring a chair from home. Can I sit in? Can I watch? I don’t mind paying extra.’ While such incidents are happening, we know it will take time,” Dhar explained.
He highlighted that Kashmiri people are avid movie lovers and have a keen interest in global cinema. This is why he started receiving requests for Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” featuring Cillian Murphy, about four to five weeks before its release on July 21. Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One” also had their openings on the same days.
Dhar added that the tickets for “Oppenheimer” were sold out within a few hours of the box office opening, and the first show of the movie had a full house. “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie, had a slower start but gained momentum later on. He praised the Kashmiri youth, describing them as global citizens with a deep understanding of world cinema and the personalities involved.
Recently, Karan Johar expressed “immense gratitude” to Dhar’s father, Vijay Dhar, an educationist, and the people of Kashmir for their support during the production of “Rocky Aur Rani…” The filmmaker even shot a song from the movie, titled “Tum Kya Mile,” in Kashmir, which pleasantly surprised Dhar when his father was acknowledged in the video.
“Kashmiris take pride in their homes, and we love the beauty of Kashmir. We aren’t the kind of people who grow up saying, ‘We see this every day.’ For us, having a big production house come here to shoot a movie fills us with immense pride and joy. The reaction of the people here has been fantastic,” Dhar expressed.
INOX Cinema marks Kashmir’s first multiplex, having opened in the Sonawar area on September 20, 2022, with the screening of “Laal Singh Chaddha,” starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Dhar’s dream of seeing the cinema exhibition industry flourish in Kashmir after decades might not be too distant. Just days ago, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, inaugurated 100-seater multipurpose film theaters in Baramulla and Handwara towns. Similar theaters were inaugurated by the LG in Shopian and Pulwama districts of J&K last year.
Three additional cinemas are scheduled to open in Bandipora, Ganderbal, and Kulgam districts in September, bringing the total number of districts with film theaters in the Valley to seven.
