Two days after inaugurating cinema halls in Shopian and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday inaugurated Kashmir's first multiplex cinema in Srinagar.
After inaugurating the cinema hall, Manoj Sinha announced that all the 20 districts of the Union Territory will have 100-seater cinema halls soon.
The long wait of the residents of Kashmir to watch a movie in a multiplex cinema hall ended today when Lieutenant Governor inaugurated a grand and exquisitely designed Multiplex cinema in the Shivpora area of Srinagar.
With a seating capacity of 520, the multiplex cinema has three auditoriums, a lobby area along with other spaces set up to provide a source of entertainment to the people, especially the youth.
The multiplex has been established by the Dhar family that once ran the famous Broadway cinema way back in the 90s, which was later shut down after violence broke out.
Noted businessman Vijay Dhar, who owns the multiplex said that the wait is over and the cinema is set to provide the people of Kashmir with a different experience when it comes to entertainment.
The first show in this multiplex cinema hall begins with the screening of the movie "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.
About the specification, the multiplex has been designed by INOX and has got the advanced Dolby sound systems installed, apart from food courts and other means of entertainment kept available for people.
Kashmiris denied entertainment for past three decades
Recalling the days when there were over a dozen cinema halls in Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor said that residents of the Valley were denied entertainment for three decades due to terrorism.
He recalled that Srinagar was a hub of entertainment once as the district had almost eight big cinemas functional— Palladium, Regal, Sheeraz, Neelam, Khayam, Broadway, Naaz, and Firdous.
"Today, we are trying to bring back the lost era again. Today, the opening of the cinema reflects the changing picture of J&K," he said.
Sharing my speech at the inauguration of INOX multiplex theatre in Srinagar.https://t.co/2G2Hcj3IOL pic.twitter.com/nVl0LMi0LA
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) September 20, 2022
The LG said that August 5, 2019, was a historic day when a massive decision was taken by the Indian parliament. "The government at Delhi is not trying to buy peace in J&K, but to establish it permanently," he said.
He especially mentioned about 1965 Bollywood blockbuster "Janwar", starring the famous Shami Kapoor which was screened at Broadway cinema.
"Such was the love of Kappor for Kashmir that he had asked his family members to perform his last rites in Dal Lake, Srinagar," the Lieutenant Governor said.
