MULTIPLEX MANIA

A visit to the dome at IMAX ADLABS, Wadala, Mumbai makes you feel heavily expressive and also a bit lighter on the pockets. The worlds largest dome theatre is huge enough to overwhelm your stress transforming it into ‘a high’. Just when I got this sought after ‘kick’ , I realized the lack of something – an interval !!. The 2.5 hours of non-stop “Goblet of fire” ( the latest in the Harry Potter series) at times made me feel as if I were under the ‘Cruciatus’ curse being tortured without food ( as I had missed my lunch to attend a meet before the movie)
Yet ,the experience was worth a thousand burgers. The quidditch world cup, the first task where Harry flew on his broomstick dodging the dragon, the scene over the lakes where the owls flew, the task under water surrounded by ‘not –so -pretty’ mermaids are some scenes I distinctly remember being ‘carried by’ with the movie( and literally so). Such was the 3-dimensional effect of the dome , although it used only 75% of the screen for this movie (it not being an original DMR format movie). Even after stretching and twisting my neck for the entire length, it wasn’t a ‘pain in the neck’ – thanks to JK Rowling(the author), (the director), the engineers who’ve created one helluva place somewhere in the remotes of Mumbai.
The government started promoting multiplexes around three years ago in a drive to cut short the space occupied by single screens. They offered them a tax-free regime till about five years ( which aren’t yet over) .This ‘tax-free’ offer enables the developers/owners to make up for their investment i.e. in a way guarantees the multiplex creators a sure-shot ROI (Return On Investment), which implies that these multiplexes can make enough money even if they charge the folks with the ordinary ‘single-screen’ rates. The junta wouldn’t have minded even if they charged a little over the standard prices, but what they do charge us is approximately twice the amount. But 3 yrs is a lot of time and now people are pretty used to these charges and even pocket-money clad students find it pretty normal (except on weekends). Why and How?---- Thanks to the Chalta hai attitude.
A post show survey at many multiplexes (which supposedly helps them relate to the masses better) consists primarily of a questionnaire (which requires you to have a pen) asks you about various facets such as service ,security, ambience, cleanliness, sound quality, seating, food, and other likes and dislikes generally gets a hats off salute from majority of the folks filling the questionnaire (although some of this majority like the others of the minority have issues with the prices , it being the only debatable facet in a multiplex). Overhearing several discussions and being a part of many entitles me to say that although the folks aren’t really satisfied they would show-off as if things are pretty mundane. HOW and WHY? –The same Chalta hai attitude.
As a matter of fact these are the people who took over the ‘baniyas’ when they started charging a buck extra for serving a chilled soft-drink, and even more some dragged them to the consumer courts for that extra buck. HOW and WHY? Nahin Chalta hai- attitude.
Here is where the pseudonorm lies, the ‘Oh-so-cool’ “Chalta Hai” attitude is basically hypocorism metaphorised and exist in most of us.
If we carefully look inside each of us somewhere or the other, somehow or the other we are a ‘put-on’… A wannabe !!!