BHUBANESWAR: The endgame has officially begun. City theaters have scripted history by screening ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at 6:00 am Friday.
Observing the overwhelming demand for tickets for the movie, theater owners in the capital gave in to fans’ plea of making an exception and run an extra show prior to the 8:30 am screening. The city has hosted plenty of blockbusters, but never before has any hall screened a movie at 6:00 am.
“I initially went to purchase a ticket at INOX Bhawani Mall but the long queue made me go for online booking. However, I was aghast when I saw all online shows were sold-out. I thought I would miss the first day first show but was relieved when I came to know about the 6:00 am show. I haven’t slept all night and can’t wait to see the movie,” said an elated Sibashis Acharya.
Even though prominent multiplex chains like INOX and Cinepolis have run early shows in other cities, the aforementioned initiative was undertaken in select cities. However, the screening at city multiplexes in Esplanade, Bhawani, DN Regalia and Symphony malls is unprecedented.
Fans who had booked the 8:30 am show tickets were left disappointed as they were robbed off the ‘first day first show’ bragging rights. The early hullaballoo surrounding the arrival of tickets was translated to sell-outs in all the multiplexes of the city.
“What is the point of booking the 8:30 show if the first screening is made before that? While I took all the pains and bought the ticket of the early morning show my friend just made a last ditch effort and got the tickets of the show before me,” complained Sanchita Dash.
Responding to this Alok Tandon, CEO, INOX Leisure, said that they had to make an exception as all shows of Avengers: Endgame were almost sold out in a very short time and weekday advances were also selling fast.
“We are almost utilising more than 90% of our screens over the weekend for Avengers: Endgame. We also curated special food options around the Avengers theme, like Black Widow for our Masala Coke, Iron Man for our Nachos and Captain America for our caramel and cheese popcorn. We have also crafted a coffee-centric combo for our late night movie watchers,” Tandon added.
However, there was some mismanagement noticed at the Cinepolis multiplex at Esplanade Mall. Inundated with a large number of movie lovers on an early morning, the staff was a tad dumbfounded.
While the mall gates did not open till 5:45 am, a mad rush was observed to get in and park vehicles to reach the seats as quickly as possible. However, all the trouble was forgotten once the enthusiasts settled in their seats.
Kumar Aghna Mukherjee said “Avengers: Endgame isn’t just a movie for me. It is the accumulation of 11 years of content and cinematic experiences. From a comic lover’s perspective, it was a tribute not only to the Marvel Universe but also its loyal fans.”
