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On January 16, 2026, AMB Cinemas opened successful Bengaluru with South India’s archetypal Dolby Screen. The high-tech surface had replaced different technological wonderment for its time, the Kapali Theatre, 1 of India’s archetypal Cinerama screens (a process of utilizing 3 synchronised projectors to formed images connected a wide screen).
The Hyderabad-based AMB Cinemas, a associated task betwixt Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu and Asian Cinemas, faces the uphill task of thriving successful what has turned retired to beryllium a desolate locality for movie theatres. Scenes of household members walking to the Box Office astatine the entranceway of the gangly operation were an encouraging sign, but we are inactive acold distant from witnessing the glory days of Gandhinagar again.
On societal media, the reactions to the caller nine-screen multiplex person been divided. Hardcore cinephiles are anxious to research innovative film-viewing options, portion nostalgic locals consciousness that the entranceway of a Telugu-based movie entity astatine a venue erstwhile considered the fortress of Kannada cinema is simply a setback for Sandalwood.
After its motorboat successful 1968, Kapali screened respective Dr. Rajkumar blockbusters, a bequest carried guardant by his son, Shivarajkumar (Om, Jogi).
Bharath Narang, 1 of the salient leaders astatine Asian Cinemas, isn’t ignorant astir the affluent past of Kapali. “My begetter was a bully person of Dr. Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, and Ambareesh. We privation to revive the aged memories of this iconic place, and AMB Cinemas is our acquisition to the radical of Karnataka,” helium told reporters successful an interaction.
The K.G. Road, wherever AMB is housed, is nary longer the beardown homeground of Kannada cinema. Telugu films thin to get respective shows crossed azygous screens successful the area. Industry experts constituent to the “demand and supply” model, acknowledging the Telugu movie industry’s quality to nutrient accordant large films and its vantage of much superstars compared to Sandalwood.
“Kannada movies volition ne'er look unfair attraction astatine AMB,” said Sunil Narang, managing director, AMB Cinemas. “One of our main attractions is the in-house canteen that provides prime nutrient astatine affordable rates. Sathyam Cinemas successful Chennai led the mode guardant with a divers nutrient experience, with their fluffy vadas being the highlight. At AMB Hyderabad, the biryani is precise popular. We program to present Bengaluru’s Donne Biryani here. With tenable summons prices, we privation to connection 7-star work to the people”.
The institution plans to motorboat different multiplex successful North Bengaluru, adjacent the airport. The Dolby Screen (dual Barco laser projectors with a peculiar surface designed for ultimate clarity), the 2nd largest successful India with 586 seats aft Pune’s surface astatine Citypride Multiplex, is their marquee attraction. The multiplex has screens with 7.1 Dolby Atmos.
After Bengaluru, Hyderabad is gearing up for the motorboat of its archetypal Dolby Cinema with the motorboat of Allu Cinema (superstar Allu Arjun’s venture) astatine Kokapet. The developments beryllium the robust cinema concern of Hyderabad.
“In Andhra, radical crossed the authorities put successful movies. The passionateness for cinema is much successful Andhra Pradesh than successful Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. We person much stars, and they are cardinal to the endurance of theatres. I was shocked to cognize that Urvashi is shutting down successful Bengaluru. It’s a large screen,” said Mr. Narang.
AMB Cinemas volition run with what’s champion for its business, but the onus of redeeming the Kannada movie manufacture lies connected the guardians of the industry, movie professional and writer Shyam Prasad told The Hindu.
“In the past 15 years, determination has not been a big-star Kannada movie for Sankranti. So, what options bash theatres have? At 1 point, the Rajkumar household ventured into accumulation and distribsution with large success. We request the modern-day stars to instrumentality ownership of the manufacture and task into the movie business. The youngsters, specified arsenic the Shettys (Raj, Rishab, and Rakshit) and Dhananjaya, are producing movies. What’s stopping the superstars?,” helium asked.
