If this reminds you of those early days of Doordarshan where you could only choose between DD1 and DD2, then what's happening in Noida now is a lot like the cable TV revolution. From only two screens in the early 2000s, people will get to choose from 80 screens by next year.
"Noida is poised to become the destination city for cine magoers. Today, movie halls report people coming all the way from Rohini and other parts of west Delhi to catch a film. The Logix City Centre, having opened recently, reports a footfall of 7,500 per day.With the retail, food and movie halls, Noida offers a great entertainment opportunity for people from all over NCR," PVR CEO Gautam Dutta said.
The total number of screens in Noida at present is 42 and is expected to go up to 80 by 2017. In contrast, Gurgaon has 38 mul tiplex screens and 10 single-screen cinemas. Delhi has 114 multiplex screens and 22 single-screen cinemas.
The projects expected to become functional by 2017-end are an 18-screen superplex at Gardens Galleria, five screens at Wave One and 15 screens at Supernova. A superplex is a bunch of halls, including luxury halls, IMAX and kids' theatre combined with a multiplex. With the number of screens set to go up from 42 to 80 by the next year, Noida is poised to become the `film city' of NCR .
"With the new malls and food joints, Noida now has a novelty value. My friends often come all the way here to catch a film and share a meal. There is a perception among people that it is cheaper in Noida than anywhere else to have a good time out," Sutapa Pal, an IT professional, said.
"In fact, Noida now has a big concentration of movie halls. So people are coming here to have a complete experience in shopping, dining out and entertainment. It is increasingly becoming a fun desti nation," Pushpa Bector, executive vice-chairman, DLF Mall of India, said.
"At DT Cinemas, we are not just looking at Noida as a catchment area. People from the south, east and even west Delhi are increasingly coming to Noida for fun and leisure.There are seven screens at DLF Mall of India, including the one with 186 seats dedicated to kids," Bector added.
Among the up and running movie halls in Noida are Wave Cinemas (Wave Mall), DT Noida are Wave Cinemas (Wave Mall), DT Cinemas (DLF Mall of India) and BIG Cinemas (Great India Place) in Sector 18; Spice Cinemas (Spice World Mall) in Sector 25A and PVR Superplex (Logix City Centre) -which includes a 388-seater IMAX, a 4DX luxury hall and a total of 15 screens -in Sector 32. Movie Time, which was Dharam Palace once, is a one-screen cinema that still operates in Sector 18.
"The best thing about watching movies in Noida is that majority of the malls are located near Metro stations. Tickets are cheaper in Noida compared to Delhi where the entertainment tax is higher," said Saptarshi Das Gupta, who lives and works in Delhi.
"The residents of Noida now have no reason to go anywhere else to watch a movie or for shopping. The city now has everything for entertainment.Gone are the days when Noida residents would have to go to Saket to catch a film," said Shreyasi Raghav, a Noida based businesswoman.
