Deepam to open second cinema in December |24 September 2004

The 140-seat cinema is on the third floor of the four-storey mall under construction and is a joint partnership between Deepam Entertainment Inc. and Modern Printing Services. The cinema, which will occupy a space of 205 square metres, will be run on state-of-the-art technologies and is to provide top quality entertainment. The seats to be installed in the Deepam Elite will be of red colour but much larger than the ones at Deepam Cinema, and more comfortable. The lights and decor of the hall will also add to the special effects of the whole presentation. The hall will be more spacious and equipped with air-condition and latest digital sound surround system technology. The company has also invested in a latest model of projector.

The proprietor of Deepam Entertainment Inc. Mr Subash Pillay said their priority is to ensure the comfort of moviegoers and that they get the best service at all times.

The cinema will project one show per day on weekdays and three shows on weekends.

The movies to be shown will feature mainly box office hits and the premieres of new releases that are normally done for charity purposes, as well as academy award winning hits.

Mr Pillay has also pointed out that though the cinema will be close to the one in town, Deepam Elite will be a high class cinema and as a result the prices of tickets will be slightly more expensive. But there will be a fixed price for all seats.

He said a market research has shown that though Deepam Cinema plays 16 shows per week, there are a lot of people who do not get the chance to come to the cinema, especially when it is showing top hits like Spiderman or Harry Potter and other much popular blockbusters.

"It will diversify people's choice of movies. They can today watch a movie on the big screen at Deepam Cinema and tomorrow one at Deepam Elite and at the same time get to enjoy other attractions at the Docklands Commercial Centre," Mr Pillay told Business Nation.

"It's also an initiative to draw more people to Victoria and liven up the town, especially at night and during weekends," he said.

A kiosk to sell tickets will be set up in the lobby on the ground floor of the complex and billboards will also be erected at the entrance to advertise film shows.

A small snack shop will be set up outside the cinema.

Mr Pillay, who said he knows cinema business inside out, is very optimistic that Deepam Elite will be as successful as Deepam Cinema.
The interior design of the cinema is being done by Antoine Gardner, an architectural design consultant.

Deepam Entertainment Inc. is also planning to expand the business to Praslin with the construction of another cinema there to bring big screen entertainment to people on the island as well as La Digue.