Big films pave the way for big changes. Just a few days ago, director Shankar, whose mega-budget film, 2.0 , featuring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar, is scheduled for release on November 29, appealed to theatre owners to upgrade their existing infrastructure to screen the 3-D version.
With concerns over whether the theatres could be upgraded in time to screen the movie, Lyca Productions, which has bankrolled the ₹550-crore film, has said that 2.0 will release in close to 400 screens in the 3D format, and in 2-D in the rest of the screens.
“We have managed to connect the theatre owners with those who supply equipment directly. Some of the theatres had required 2K projectors and the ‘silver screen’, but they didn’t have the equipment to convert it into 3-D. In such cases, we actively connected the theatre owners and the suppliers,” said a senior executive from Lyca Productions.
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Lyca Productions’ senior executive said that while it is possible to convert screens into 3-D where D-Cinema projectors (used by the multiplexes) and silver screen are already installed, the theatres where E-cinema projectors have been installed will only screen the 2-D version.
“We can’t do anything about those screens. Only the 2D version will have to be screened,” said the senior executive.
Theatre owners and distributors say that most of the theatres in cities such as Chennai and surrounding areas, and other cities such as Madurai, Salem and Coimbatore, have 3-D screens.
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“In Salem area, 40 screens out of 160 can screen 3-D movies. We are expecting 20-30 more screens to be added for 2.0. Theatre owners might be reluctant to spend money for an upgrade because it is a ‘one-time’ thing and there is not enough 3-D content around,” said Tiruppur Subramaniam, well-known distributor in western Tamil Nadu.
Theatre owners say that the ‘silver screen’, essential to screen 3-D movies, costs anywhere between ₹3 lakh-8 lakh, depending on the size of the screen.
“Most new screens are equipped with 3-D. The problem with having a 3-D screen is that the ‘silver screen’ is expensive and its maintenance is a big issue. The screen has to remain dust-free,” said a theatre owner in Tambaram.
Abirami Ramanathan, MD, Abirami Mega Mall, said that the theatres that don’t have 3-D facility can get the equipment for temporary hire.
While Shankar also appealed to theatre owners to install 4-D sound technology, many of the theatre owners show reluctance as there is no information about whether Hollywood movies will also use the same technology.