This is the heights. I mean literally. The top seating row of the IMAX dome, Wadala (The largest of its kind in Asia) was reserved on a Sunday Afternoon show for some Censor Board Executives. (or was it someone else? Hmm..maybe some relatives of the management of the cinema?!) First, the Parliament, then the education system and now…presenting, reservations at IMAX Adlabs. (Hmmm, this case definitely deserves a lot more MSM coverage). Maybe a sting operation would do justice to this post. But, I can provide a video of the argument and a dark picture which is highly beleivable (If you trust me :P)

Below is an e-mail which is a complaint written by my bro to the management of IMAX adlabs, Wadala after our exciting, mind-boggling and moreover ‘Surround Sound’ experience at the dome.(No I’m not talking about the surround sound experience of the movie )

The experience is narrated rightly in the e-mail as you read it, but I will take the freedom to add my bit to it as well.
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The E-mail

Dear Sir,
I have been coming to IMAX Adlabs, Wadala since the time the first show was aired at the IMAX dome. In recent times with growing popularity of Multiplex cinema in Mumbai, Adlabs cinema and in particular IMAX Adlabs,Wadala has been a favorite for me and my cousins. We have seen endless movies not only at the multiplex screens but also at the dome, which I believe is the biggest in Asia. However our last experience at your cinema has been disheartening to say the least.
On 2 July 2006, my family, my cousins and I (seven of us) had planned to see ‘Superman Returns’ at IMAX dome for the 1:30 p.m. show. We were inside the dome at 1:15 p.m. and since as with normal cinemas there are no reservations for seats we made our way towards the top seats. As you must know in IMAX dome a good seat makes a huge difference as to how your entire experience goes. However while on our way up we were stopped by one of the security guards and we were informed the last row was reserved for the censor board. We made our peace with this and proceeded to the lower rung seats. Fifteen minutes after the show started we saw the same security guard allow a a big group of people towards the seats at the top. Let me inform you here none of them looked anywhere near people from the censor board
One hour inside the show due to some technical glitch the screen went blank for 10 minutes. I was accompanied this day by my 84-year grandfather and since he was not comfotable with the lower rung seats we looked around for better seats at the top and found four empty seats in the top row. Since there are no reservations for seats in IMAX dome my parents and my 84-year grandfather after managing their way all the way from below occupied these seats. Fifteen minutes later the family which were occupying the seats earlier insisted that they be given their seats back. When we occupied the seats there was not a single person from that family seated nearby nor was there any belonging such as popcorn or umbrella on those four seats. In such a situation we had every right to believe that those seats were unoccupied. However after fifteen minutes of argument with the family in question we were informed by your manager Mr. Naved Sherwani that we occupy the seats we had earlier occupied
Firstly, in a cinema where there are no reservations for seats why were we advised not to change seats when we had reason to believe they were unoccupied?? Secondly, if as one of your managers mentioned the IMAX management reserves the right to reserve seats why was I not informed about the same at the time of buying tickets?? I hope you understand the value of the time and money of your customers for nobody I know would like to pay Rs. 300 on a Sunday afternoon just to realize that the best seats are reserved by management. If such is the case the number and the location of such seats should be clearly informed before customers buy such tickets.Lastly I was also informed by your manager Mr. Naved that the next time we were to come to IMAX Adlabs, Wadala if we could let him know in advance and some arrangement could be made. Let me inform you sir post this there might be no next time.
To conclude this last experience at IMAX has been highly disappointing. Our argument with the family and your manager cost us a good one hour of the movie. My grandfather and my parents had to sit on the floor for the rest of the movie. We had come to celebrate an ocassion and I had expected to enjoy the IMAX experience with my loved ones on a Sunday afternoon but in reality I have wasted 3 hours of mine and my loved ones time and I am not even talking about the money I have spent. I hope you can put a positive end to this fiasco Awaiting swift reply and action.

Yours sincerely,
Rushabh Doshi

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Nice eh? Indeed the IMAX Experience. Well, this post gets more interesting though. What’s funny is that all this happened on a weekend when the cinema should be expecting a lot of business considering the fact that the movie was ‘Superman Returns’ which can be defined as a ‘Family Entertainer’ if I take the liberty to point that it’s rated U/A. And the movie had just released two days ago.

Another interesting twist in this real-life story of reservations at cinema halls, is the very mysterious identity of the audience for which the seats were reserved. Were they humans or were they aliens from outer space? Err…I mean how the hell would the censor board executives include a lady with a 3 year old baby and another man (most likely her husband) who was there in a T-shirt? Moreover, WHY THE HELL would Censor Board Executives visit the Cinema when the movie has already released and that too with a rating - UA. Were they doubting the fact that Superman wears his underwear outside his outfit for the wrong reasons? OR maybe they just wanted to confirm why the review on Superman Returns was better than Krishhh… our friendly neighbourhood idiot! Well, all this is a mystery. I can imagine something more realistic.(that sounds like an antithesis but still) It goes something like this:

Some manager of IMAX got a call one fine day from one of his relatives (say, his in-law’s neighbour’s newly married daughter). They requested to get the Best Seats for the Best Viewing at Asia’s largest dome. He booked it and got it reserved. When you think of it, this reservation was implemented even faster than those at our colleges and at the Parliament. Just one call to the guy who manages the show and it’s done. Finally, when we arrived and for that matter, even when other viewers arrived at that row to get those seats, the securuty gaurd was well-trained by the manager to say - ‘Yeh Reserved Hai’. And you always have the typo policy maintained by most secretive and unmanaged organizations (in this case IMAX Adlabs) - ‘I’m sorry sir. We cannot tell you for whom were the seats reserved?’

Another aspect of IMAX Adlabs, especially the dome that I would like to touch upon is the sheer experience at the cinema. Frankly, there’s nothing great about watching the movie at the dome. You spend 300 bucks to watch curvy images and moreover, the print is darker. If they have made some special reel for the dome, then it’s fair only if it is displayed on the entire dome. When the movie starts, anyone (who’s sensible and not blind) can see how it’s just a streched rectangular screening of the movie which is forced to fit on the dome screen. This explains the curvy images at the edges.

Basically, it’s just not worth it anyway! But the only reason to post on this topic is to make the consumers aware about these shitty policies of some of the most world-class (mind you, IMAX runs cinemas globally…Err…Adlabs is under Anil Ambani, so maybe that explains the management problem) organizations.

For now, we are just waiting for the response from the management…till then, keep watching at the dome and stay away from the best seats which are likely to unavailable!

Update - 6th July, Wednesday

Four days after the incident, the Area Manager of IMAX who administers the functioning of three theatres under him, called my cousin. (We were told by the Sr Asst Mgr that we would be contacted on Monday) Better late than never

He apologized and promised some action would be taken. At the same time, he also said that ‘We sometimes need to favour the Censor Board Executives!’ Obviously my cousin blasted at him

Let’s see what ride are we taken on further from here…

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