A starry night is all one needs
Open air cinema in Delhi is a new experience for the public, but the response so far has been overwhelming.
It's Valentines week and high time to share some quality time with your loved ones. When it comes to making plans movies occupy the topmost place in the list. But, as love cannot be confined within any known boundaries, same goes for movies. At least that is what open-air cinema lovers would say.
Sahil Kapoor, the co-founder of Sunset Cinema Club, shares when and why he brought this concept to life by saying, “We started Sunset Cinema Club in November 2016 with a vision to take cinema out of the confines of traditional cinema halls and to make movie watching an 'experience'.”
Every success has some or the other inspiration to motivate them to keep going. The story for this organization has been, “We wanted to bring back cult classics movies to the audience and enhance their movie watching experience by making it immersive. We started with classics like Pulp Fiction, The Godfather, Top Gun and screened content based on what our audience wanted via online polls. Our aim was to make movie watching experiential and renewed with surprise. Our aim is to create an ambiance in resonance with the movie being screened. Everything from the decor to the F&B is inspired by our movies. For example, At our Harry Potter screenings, the path from the entrance till the theatre was to be navigated using 'Lanterns' (just like Hagrid) which were handed out to the guests. We served the famous 'Butter Beer' which all Harry Potter fans are too familiar with. It was a big success and hugely appreciated.”
Every new concept is not a successful one. In the case of open-air cinema, the audience is the most important component and are the ones who can give the ultimate verdict on the impact of the screenings. The co-founder of the organization comments, “So far we've conducted over 150 shows across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Indore with an attendance of over 30,000 people. We launched the first 'Open Air Movie Festival' in India called the Movies & Chill Festival which was attended by over 7000 people across 3 cities.”
This Valentine’s week, the club plans to screen incredible movies which people of 18 to 80 all can enjoy. Sahil expresses his excitement with us, “Imagine watching a romantic movie under the stars, seated on a mattress with a special someone! Our Valentine’s Day screenings are a break away from the regular dinner dates on 14th Feb. We are screening the best Rom-Coms of all times like DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge), The Holiday and 500 days of Summer. A delectable range of F&B will be served to go perfectly with the occasion.”
There is always scope for improvement in any kind business irrespective of a lot of facts. And the smart and young entrepreneur heartily accepts the fact by sharing, “I've come to realize that any work you do for the masses has to be done in good faith. Apart from this being a business model it is also a way to revamp entertainment for people all ages.” There is a fine line between being confident and over-confident. The group knows the difference. “We are young and working every day to better ourselves and learn from our mistakes. We keep our fingers crossed and try and deliver something meaningful, create memories. With each event, we gain an understanding of what we are doing right and what we need to improve upon,” sums up the co-founder.