Shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts. Bucket hats, anti-fit denim, chunky combat boots. It rained K-fashion in purple that evening. Spotting BTS ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth) from a distance at Irrum manzil metro mall was not a tough task, thanks to the colourful outfits. The ARMY gathered in large numbers at PVR cinemas for the first day first show of BTS Yet to Come concert movie.
Inside the theatre, as the movie started, the crowd — mostly girls — cheered in excitement. A lone whistle was also heard. Standing near the theatre entrance, I chose to feel the vibe from the wings. The crowd inside felt like an extension of the crowd on the screen.
Naveen Manyapu, cinema manager at PVR says the atmosphere felt festive. He said “I did not realise BTS was so popular in Hyderabad. Seeing the excitement of the crowd, I too am going to watch the film. In fact, many of our staff are ecstatic seeing the excitement of fans.”
“ARMY, we are ARMY,” said Riya Roy a Kolkata-based doctor who had come to Hyderabad for a medical conference but stayed over for a day to watch the concert film. “There was no way I could miss this opportunity. This movie is not being screened in Kolkata.”
Spotting those who came without informing at home was not difficult either; they hid behind masks. A Class XII student who came alone to watch the film without permission from her parents said, “I am supposed to be at an extra class in my coaching centre. I couldn’t miss watching my favourite boy on the big screen. This is the first time it is being screened in Hyderabad and I needed to be a part of this moment.”
While this youngster braved it alone, friends Sai Sindhu and Harshitha Reddy came with S Shivaraj, Sai Sindhu’s father. The girls were excited to be there to cheer BTS and get the feel of a real concert on the big screen. Sindhu says, “My dad supports me being an ARMY and when I said the concert film was coming to theatres in Hyderabad, he was onboard immediately. I wanted him to see BTS as well, so when I expressed my wish to watch the cinema with him and my friend, he easily agreed.”
BTS ARMY Ridhi Sowmya, Snigdha Reddy, Keerthana Srinivas, Meghana
Shivaraj says, “I don’t follow the music, but I see my daughter enjoying it. All I can say is, the boys are well-behaved based on the videos and clippings my daughter forces me to watch. I am feeling out of place for sure, but I want to show my support to my daughter and ARMY.”
As the film progressed, the full house screamed when the BTS said ‘make some noise’ and responded with a hello when BTS said hello. And when Jin threw a flying kiss, the cheers would not stop.
Harshika M’s parents could not believe their otherwise introverted daughter would get up and start dancing in the crowd when BTS performed ‘Dynamite’. Harshika’s mother pointed to her daughter’s jacket, which had a photo of BTS. Harshika was accompanied by both her parents; her father stood on the side and watched the crowd go berserk with each song sung by the band. He said, “This is not even a live concert. It feels so different, because of the energy.”
Inside the PVR screen in Hyderabad
Sai Divyanjali (15) was not as lucky as Harshika and could not get a jacket. Her mother said they tried a lot at shops. “When I suggested names of a few websites, she jumped up, gave me a hug and threw a couple of mini hearts at me. “I have been ARMY for three years and my parents promised to take me to their concert when they come to India to perform. Condition is: I have to get good grades.”
As the movie came to an end and ARMY exited the theatre, a parent commented, “This crowd can give Chiranjeevi fans a run for their money.”
