The New Indian Express photo.
Dharmapuri: In Bommidi in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district, a cinema enthusiast set up a balloon theatre in a bid to bring cinema to rural people. The person, who is also an acupuncture doctor, joined hands with a movie theatre franchise called ‘Picture Time’ to set up the fully equipped balloon theatre on a 20,000-square-foot area with the latest sound and visual facilities, The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported.
The balloon theatre is mobile and is erected in an inflated balloon, with shipping containers set as a projection room and canteen. The theatre is set up in a compound with a garden with special decorative plants from Kerala’s Kozhikode. It cost the team around four crore to set up the entire facility.
Doctor Ramesh told TNIE that he loves watching movie and it became a part of his life. He ventured into the balloon theatre to share what he loves with others and for people in Bommidi have to travel around 30km to Salem or Dharmapuri to watch movies. Also, theatres are now a expensive affair for families, costing around Rs 3,000 for tickets and snacks, he said, adding that so he decided ot bring a cheaper and “fulfilling movie-going experience”.
He then briefed how he stumbled upon the concept. He had visited Thane in Maharashtra recently and saw a huge balloon structure. He learned later that it was a balloon theatre, and a fascinated Ramesh contacted the proprietor to learn about how to set up such a theatre.
Then he explained the safety measures for the theatre. According to him, the theatre is based on German technology, easily-portable, and the balloon is a polythene blend of special cotton and dozens of other fire-resisant materials. Also, it do not store air inside but continuously siphon air off, making it further more immune to fires.
He also brought the fire department and the district administration to conduct necessary safety assessments before the threat became operational.