Buzz @ BIG Cinemas- Caring for all

Aaptharakshaka Premiere at BIG Cinemas, Bengaluru.

On 18th February, 2010 Aaptharakshaka, the 200th Movie of Late Dr.Vishnuvardhan premiered at BIG Cinemas, Arch Mall at Bengaluru. BIG Cinemas at Arch Mall is the new luxurious destination and marks the recent entry of BIG Cinemas, India’s largest cinema chain and a division of Reliance MediaWorks Ltd and a member of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group in Bengaluru.

The Aaptharakshaka premiere event commenced at 6 pm and was attended by Krishna Kumar, the producer of Aaptharakshaka, the music director Guru Kiran and the lead actress Lakshmi Gopalaswamy.

Also present were actress Pooja Gandhi of the ‘Mungaru Male’ fame and well-known director, Mr.Indrajith Lankesh. Actor Murali and Shakti - actor and son of Aaptharakshaka director P. Vasu attended the event. Prem – the well known Kannada actor cum director was also seen at the event.

BIG Cinemas at Gopalana Arch Mall in Bengaluru houses 3 contemporary screening rooms with a seating capacity for 1019 people, and it offered the attendees the finest customer amenities and a dynamic screen presentation, along with a great movie watching experience.

Stars of GOA (Tamil) Movie visit BIG Cinemas at Dindigul.

On 9th February, 2010, the actors of the Superhit Tamil movie GOA, visited Laxmi and Naga BIG Cinemas at Dindigul. The superstar Jai of Subramaniyapuram(movie) fame, along with other 2 actors from the movie Arvind Akash and Vaibhav Reddy visited the Cinema during the last show and not only entertained the guests, but also saw the movie with them. The guests also got a chance to interact with these stars and ask them questions. All in all this was a wonderful experience for the guests and the star visit made it an evening worth cherishing all their lives.

'Coco Avant Chanel' premieres at Metro BIG Cinemas

The French movie ‘Coco Avant Chanel’ premiered at Metro BIG Cinemas, on 28th January 2010. Directed by Anne Fontaine, the movie stars Audrey Tautou, who plays Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, and Benoit Poelvoorde. It is the story of Coco Chanel's rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world.

Not surprisingly, the event was flooded with the well-known names from the fashion world. Several noted designers and models attended the event.

Among the guests were Aki Narula, Narendra Kumar Ahmed, Sabina Chopra, Queenie Dhody, Aarti Surendranath, Kailash Surendranath and Sonia Garware. Also present were sociologist Nandini Sardesai and model Lisa Hayden.

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Ishqiya Premiere at BIG Cinemas Odeon.

On 28th January, the city of Delhi felt the ‘ishq’ in the air. BIG Cinemas, Odeon held the premiere of Ishqiya, the tale of romance and crime, passion and deceit. The stars of the movie, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi, who have charmed the audiences with their scintillating performances in the movie, were present.

Playing perfect host was the producer Vishal Bhardwaj, who is known for his famous blockbusters ‘Omkara’ and ‘Kaminey’. His wife, singer Rekha Bhardwaj accompanied him. The director Abhishek Choubey was also present at the memorable evening.

BIG Cinemas, Odeon houses 2 luxurious screening rooms. It has 592 plush seats including 60 lavishly designed sofas for its guests. Every guest felt like the ‘star of the show’ and his experience was uplifted in both ambience and offerings. Overall the premiere of Ishqiya at BIG Cinemas, Odeon was truly an unforgettable experience.

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3 Idiots star cast visits BIG Cinemas

On 1st January, 2010, the 3 Idiots trio - Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and R. Madhavan along with Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raju Hirani visited BIG Cinema at TGIP and entertained the kids from Can Kids, an NGO which is a family support group enabling children and their families faced with cancer and a unit of Indian Cancer Society (ICS) Delhi.

BIG Cinemas marked the New Year for the kids from Can Kids with fun and joy as they arranged for a special screening of 3 Idiots for the kids of Can Kids followed by interaction of the star cast with the kids. Post which the kids headed to the amusement park and had a fun filled day.

They also visited BIG Cinemas at Mangal City Mall, Indore on 2nd Janurary, 2010.

Commenting on the occasion Tushar Dhingra, COO, BIG Cinemas said, “3 Idiots has touched the right chord in people's heart and the film has caught the audience's imagination like never before as it continues to draw record crowds and is setting new benchmarks for Bollywood films.” He adds “At BIG Cinemas we constantly aim to reinvent the multiplex experience for our audiences and by having the starcast of 3 Idiots visit BIG Cinema in Indore we hope to have enlivened the New Year for our audiences.”

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3 Idiots Premiere at BIG Cinemas

BIG Cinemas, Wadala saw the premiere of the much-awaited laugh riot of the year, 3 Idiots.

While Aamir Khan played the perfect host with wife Kiran in tow, the venue was inundated with Bollywood’s stars. Director Rajkumar Hirani and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra were there, as was the rest of the star cast of the movie – Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi and Madhavan. Mona Singh, who makes a debut with the movie was also present, but maintained a low profile.

The night also had the privilege to witness the four Khans of Bollywood – Aamir, Shah Rukh, Salman and Saif Ali Khan, though at different times. Also present were Sanjay Dutt , Dia Mirza, Vidya Balan and Dilip Prabhavalkar from the Munnabhai Series.

Mr. Anil Ambani came in with his wife Tina Ambani and kids. Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Sudhir Mishra and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra were present from the directors’ circle as was ad-man Prasoon Joshi. Lyricist Javed Akhtar was also spotted at the event.

Writer Chetan Bhagat, on whose book ‘Five Point Someone’ the movie 3 Idiots is based was also present. Aamir’s ex-wife, Reena and their kids Junaid and Ira were also seen with his uncle Mansoor Khan. Nephew Imran Khan and his girlfriend Avantika and Genelia D’Souza also came in.

All in all, the 3 Idiots Premiere was a star studded night which glittered into the wee hours with a fantastic movie that left the audience in splits and BIG Cinemas’ Movie Munchies which kept the party going.

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Avatar Special Screening

When it’s a James Cameron film, you can surely expect the best of the best turning up to catch it.

That’s what happened at the Special Screening of Avatar hosted by BIG Cinemas as the Blue Carpet was set on fire with the biggest stars of Bollywood!

Some of the early guests included Sanjay Kapoor, Director Anthony D’Souza and actress Nisha Kothari.

While Shahrukh Khan made a late entry, he gave extensive bytes to the press and posed happily for the paparazzi. Vivek Oberoi looked really suave and handsome and charmed one and all with his cheerful mood.

Also seen were directors Rohit Shetty and Shirish Kunder and actress Tisca Chopra.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra came in with his wife and was accompanied by director Rajkumar Hirani.

Amitabh Bachchan gave the media a very pleasant surprise with his unexpected appearance. The other guests included Rohan Sippy, Ram Gopal Varma, and Bhushan Kumar who was accompanied by wife Divya Khosla Kumar.

Yash Chopra came in with his wife and was seen having a pleasant conversation with Amitabh Bachchan.

Harman Baweja walked in with his dad. Anu Malik was accompanied by his daughter and was seen later catching up with Gurinder Chadha who had come in with her husband.

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan came in pretty late, looking smashing as they posed together for the paparazzi.

With so many stars attending the films premiere, looks like Avatar is surely a must-watch!

Paa Premiere in BIG Cinemas

The premiere event of Paa on 3rd December, in 5 screens at IMAX BIG Cinemas, Wadala was undoubtedly one of the biggest Bollywood premieres of the year. With the entire Bachchan family playing the perfect host, the entire who’s who of the film industry was present. Actors, directors, composers were all queued up to meet Mr Bachchan and Paa actress Vidya Balan.

The celebrities who attended the event included Shahrukh Khan with his family, Aamir Khan with Raju Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anil Ambani and his wife Tina. The Samajwadi Party General Secretary and the Bachchans’ family friend Amar Singh was also present. Akshay Kumar came in with wife Twinkle, Hema Malini was there along with her daughters, so was Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Juhi Chawla, Arshad Warsi, Sonali Bendre and Goldie Behl, Kajol and Ajay Devgn. Govinda was there and so was the entire 3 Idiots team, including Madhavan.

Many actors of the yesteryears like Jeetendra, Randhir Kapoor and directors like Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Abbas-Mustan, Vishal Bhardwaj and Ram Gopal Verma also attended this magnanimous occasion.

Even the top guns from ad world attended the do to support their friend Balki. Prasoon Joshi was there, as was Rakesysh OmPrakash Mehra among others.

In the film, Amitabh Bachchan, 67, plays a 13-year-old boy suffering from progeria, a rare condition that causes premature ageing among children. The film is directed by R Balakrishnan. Abhishek plays Amitabh's father in the film, while Vidya Balan essays the role of his mother.

BIG Cinemas R City Launched in Mumbai

On 18th September, BIG Cinemas opened Mumbai’s first megaplex with 9 movie screens at R City Mall in Ghatkopar, whilst introducing the innovative concepts of ‘Cinediner’ and ‘Mischief’.

The Cinema was opened to the public on 15th September with Director's special festival that gave the audiences a chance to come and see the movies which not only have they loved over the years but are also the favourites of the Directors who made them. There was further euphoria around this activity as the directors had personally come to interact with the audiences and answer their questions. Farhan Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali, Mahesh Bhatt, Kunal Kohli, Ram Gopal Varma and Ashutosh Gowariker visited BIG Cinemas at R City during the course of the 3 days when the Directors Special activity was conducted. There was phenomenal audience response and the Director's loved the Cinema.

Snippets of what some of the Director's said about this new BIG Cinemas

Pride of India, A Dream come true for Indian Cinema - Mahesh Bhatt
Simply out of this cinematic world! Cine Diner is a 'homely' concept! I can only say bring your home to the cinemas! To BIG Cinemas - Ashutosh Gowariker
I hated it as a Film Maker because if you make cinemas this luxurious people will just enjoy the food and go to sleep here - Ram Gopal Varma
Came to watch a film in a theatre, lived a life style and had an unbelievable cinematic experience - Mohit Suri

Also attached are the captured moments which show how much all the Director's loved the new BIG Cinemas.

The launch day saw gala fan fare with the crew of Dil Bole Hadippa- Rani Mukherjee, Shahid Kapoor and Yash Chopra gracing the opening. Rani and Shahid not only danced to the tunes of Bhangra but also interacted with audiences watching the film.

BIG Cinemas Odeon launched in Delhi

Romance; Drama; Comedy; Action get a new luxurious destination in Delhi with the reopening of Connaught Place’s landmark Odeon theatre as Odeon BIG Cinemas. The launch event was attended by the starcast of ‘Life Partner’. Genelia D’Souza, Prachi Desai and Tushhar Kapoor visited the property and interacted with media and patrons.

Odeon BIG Cinemas now houses 2 luxurious screening rooms with a seating capacity for 592 people, offering moviegoers the finest customer amenities and a dynamic screen presentation, along with a greater choice of films and viewing times. The auditoriums are furnished with wall-to-wall screens, stadium-style seating in plush, high-backed sofas and Dolby sound systems. Odeon BIG Cinemas has been redesigned around the concept where every guest is the ‘star of the show’ and their experience needs to be fulsome through both ambience and offerings.

Harry Potter Premiere @ BIG Cinemas

The latest IMAX 3D theatre at BIG Cinemas, Wadala was launched in July 15, 2009 with the world premiere of one of the most awaited potter series film – Harry Potter and the half blood prince. The movie premiered with 3 special shows, 2 in IMAX 3D format and 1 in a normal digital format. The event was promoted extensively through Newspaper Ads, Flyers, Standees, Box Office posters & E-Mailers.

IMAX BIG cinema had a complete Harry Potter ambience as the stage set was of the Hogwarts Castle in the lobby. Cutouts of Harry Potter 6 characters were placed for people to get their photos clicked also Promoters wearing 8 character costumes from HP6 greeted the guests as they entered the cinema. A red carpet pathway was created with standees and house flags of Harry Potter 6 in either side. Special gobo lights was placed that projected HP6, IMAX & BIG Cinemas logo on the wall inside the cinema as well as on the dome structure outside the cinema. Show lights were placed on either side of the entrance. The guests who poured in with great excitement and enthusiasm included Sohail Khan with his kids and nephews, R Madhvan with his wife and kid, Divya Dutta, Vinay Pathak, Aditya Hitkari, Divya Palat, Shivani Kashyap and the list continues. The media was jointly invited by BIG Cinemas & Warner Bros. The entire invited guest had a wonderful movie watching experience at the IMAX 3D where they not only enjoyed the visual treat of special 3D effects but also scrumptious gourmet meal. Now that’s what makes it a complete BIG cinema experience.

Meet the stars of New York Promotion @ BIG Cinemas

Meet the stars of NEW YORK promotion was conducted across 7 cinemas in Mumbai and 2 cinemas in Pune. The promotion aimed at driving people to watch NEW YORK at BIG Cinemas, fill a contest from and get a chance to meet the stars. The promotion was started on 1st July 2009 and was concluded on 4th July 2009. The event was held at BIG Cinemas, Wadala on 4th July 2009. 15 lucky contest winners got a chance to meet John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Kabir Khan (The Director of NEW YORK) followed by a press conference. The promotion was communicated through News Paper Ads, Flyers, Standees, Box Office posters & E-Mailers. The footfalls for the movie increased considerably in the 2nd week of release with the help of this promotion.

SCRAT’s Visit @ BIG Cinemas

Ice Age 3 promotion at BIG Cinemas was carried out in Mumbai on 3rd & 4th July 2009. BIG Cinemas got exclusive rights to “Scrat” (most loved character from Ice Age) costume from Foxstar Studios. A promoter wearing Scrat’s costume visited 6 BIG Cinemas locations in Mumbai. The schedule of Scrat’s visit was communicated through Newspaper Ads, Flyers, Standees and Box Office posters. This generated a lot of excitement among the kids and helped us increase footfalls in the 2nd week of release. Many kids with their parents had come to BIG Cinemas specially to meet Scrat. The event started on 3rd July 2009 at BIG Cinemas, Kharghar and after traveling to all BIG Cinemas in Mumbai, it ended on 4th July 2009 at BIG Cinemas Huma. The promotion was highly appreciated by the all guests visiting the Cinemas and Kids, who went nuts over Scrat.

Ghajini mania at BIG Cinemas

BIG cinemas known for pioneering with innovative thoughts across entire vistas in films, has stunned everyone with their ventre of promoting Aamir Khan’s Ghajini that released on 25th December.

The film had been hitting headlines across far flung corners the globe over for a long time. So what’s catchy with Ghajini? For sure it’s the exotic half shaven hair style of Aamir and BIG Cinemas picked it up for the promos….over 100 associates of BIG Cinemas shaved off their heads, to sport the trendy Aamir’s look in the film! Their new look was exclusively unveiled by the superstar himself at a special photo opportunity for the media at BIG Cinemas, Wadala.

BIG Cinemas associates volunteered to sport the Aamir Khan look and pose for the special photo opportunity, with the process beginning on 9th December 2008.

BIG Cinemas also conducted a meet and greet Aamir contest with the release of Ghajini. At the end of the contest, 15 lucky winners got a chance to meet their favourite superstar on the sets of his upcoming movie “3 Idiots”. Aamir also invited the winners to watch a part of the shooting of this movie.

Watch 99 –Win 99

To generate customer delight, BIG Cinemas ran a month-long promotion with the fun filled flick “99” starting on 15th May 2009. This pan India promotion gave all guests visiting BIG Cinemas to watch the movie ‘99’ a chance to participate in a contest and win 99 free movie tickets to its cinemas for the entire year.

The response to this exclusive promotional activity brought in increased footfalls & improved customer experience during the lean period of the multiplex strike.

The winners of this contest will be announced shortly.

Luck By Chance

BIG Cinemas gave its patrons a chance to ‘Get Lucky at BIG Cinemas’ in a month long campaign run across its properties to promote the movie ‘Luck By Chance’.

Guests were given a scratch card on each transaction at the box office and they could win prizes ranging from free movie tickets, discounts on FnB Combos, BIG Flix subscription vouchers to the bumper prize – a brand new Maruti A Star.

The Maruti A Star car was won by Mr. Vijay Joshi at Big Cinemas, Mulund.
20 lucky winners also got the chance to meet Farhan Akhtar at a special event held at Big Cinemas, Wadala on 18th March 2009. Farhan also handed over the Maruti car to the winner during this event.

La Cenerentola

BIG Cinemas continued its pioneering efforts to revolutionize the entertainment landscape in the country by screening the first ever Opera in India.

Rossini’s masterpiece “La Cenerentola”, based on the classic story of Cinderella & performed by the internationally renowned Glyndebourne Festival, was screened in the plush environs of BIG Cinemas in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Delhi between 19th and 21st June.

The screening was supported by Reliance Mobile & the NCPA and was attended by music enthusiasts in the different cities.

The heartening response received by this screening is expected to open up the avenues for newer content to be played on cinema screens and entertain a newer & broader audience in the coming months.

ICC T20 - Scratch-n-Win

BIG Cinemas brought the thrill of the ICC World Twenty 20 to its guests through an exciting promotion run across 55 properties pan India.

Guests got a scratch card on the purchase of a special T20 combo and had a chance to win assured gifts like free Pepsi, pen drives, Pepsi glasses and the bumper prize, an all-expense trip to London to watch the T-20 World Cup.

4 lucky winners were selected from the cinemas in Mumbai, Ahemdabad, Gurgaon and Delhi.

This 2 month exclusive promotional activity which ended on the 22nd June 2009 was a huge success and succeeded in bringing the excitement & the euphoria of the game home to its guests.