The odd wayside coffee shop in the city was where you could treat yourself to hot coffee and lip-smacking snacks, nothing more. Changing times have brought in, yes, changes. A few coffee shops, particularly those in upmarket centres are turning venues for screening movies.
Come weekends, and these shops are all ready to dish out not just coffee, but also a unique movie experience. The attraction is that the kinds of movies that are being screened are those rare and award-winning ones that don’t often find a place at mainstream theatres.
Not just abstract or art-oriented movies, but action, comedy, thriller, suspense and other genres are also screened, says Saharrsh B. of Creaking Projectors, which screens movies regularly at such coffee shops.
“It is always fun to watch a movie in the company of your friends with drinks while relaxing in a luxurious couch. All this for just Rs.100 per head,” he adds. These services have come as a blessing in disguise for amateur filmmakers, particularly students those who cannot afford screening their movies in posh theatres and established film labs. “Not everyone can screen movies at Prasads or other conventional theatres; it costs a bomb. Moreover, when movies are screened at coffee lounges, only those who are serious about movies come to watch,” says K. Abhishek, a final-year engineering student and Editor of 3nity , a Telugu short film that was screened at Café Rabaat recently. “It helps in networking, meeting new people; discussions take place and at times there is a possibility to strike deals for future projects as well,” he says.
And for aficionados of documentaries, infotainment and abstract movies, Lamakaan, a cultural centre, in Banjara Hills is another place where movies are screened for free. “Our objective is to promote movie-making as an art and help people who do not have the facilities to screen their movies. Emphasis is laid on helping amateurs, who want to exhibit their talent,” says Farhaan of Lamakaan.
