Blue and Buff: 3D Avatar finally hits Lahore

CineStar has brought a new spectrum of entertainment for the masses.

While those in the city by the sea have enjoyed the wonders of 3D animation and film for a good while now, people in Lahore had to sit back, sigh and grit their teeth in envy.

It may be a real hike all the way to Township, but CineStar has made the trek worthwhile by converting the luxurious confines of this establishment into a 3D cinema. And what better way to launch the new technology than to show the quintessential 3D film of our times, Avatar?

As has become customary in the entertainment industry, every occasion must be organised by event managers and include the omnipresent red carpet. This launch was no different.

“Verve is very proud to be working on a first-of-its-kind project in Punjab by CineStar, bringing in digital 3D technology,” said Imtisal Zafar of Verve. “It is heartening to see ambitious people like Ali and Faraz (of CineStar) striving to bring the latest in cinema to Pakistan and we are very excited to be premiering this innovative technology with Avatar Special Edition 3D.”

To jazz things up a bit, the event management company, Verve, had its ushers don the Avatar look. “Our idea stemmed from the Digital 3D technology itself,” said Zafar. “Keeping in mind how 3D brings the screen to life, we wanted to bring the movie itself to life! So we came up with the idea of creating the whole ambience in blue and have the models made up like the characters from the movie, the blue people! It was quite a fitting experience for people to be interacting with these characters and getting their pictures taken at the launch of Avatar in 3D in the city.”

The models were dressed at Sunuba’s Spa and Salon, an establishment that earlier hosted an innovative show with creatively styled headgear and makeup and tries to push the bounds of conventionality by actively taking on projects such as these. The make-up artists gave the models pointed ears and blue bodies with aqua streaks. They did a remarkable job of recreating the Avatar characters, from reel life to real life.

So far, Cinestar is the only cinema in all of Punjab to offer the much touted 3D experience. While other movies such as Rio have already premiered in Karachi, summers in Lahore will see 12 new films hit the screens in 3D, including the hotly anticipated Transformers. Priced at only Rs400, which is just Rs50 more than the normal ticket, Faraz Choudhry, the owner of CineStar is hoping to target the masses.

“We got this special projector from Barco. It is the best available and won an award this year for its excellent performance. We got the real image technology along with a special lens for the 3D viewing,” explained Choudhry, who hopes that other cinemas in Lahore will soon follow suit.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2011.