During my visit to Hyderabad, I went to PVR with my cousin to watch a drab movie. (okay, I came to know that its drab, only in the end, else I wouldn’t have gone). During the intermission, we were discussing various movies when he asked if I had watched a movie in the new 4D theater, in Prasad’s. I gave a lazy no, to which he gave back a shocked & surprised look. His expression was as though I had committed a huge crime. So, after the boring movie was done through in PVR, he took me to Prasad’s multiplex. I was in no mood for another movie, but his promise was that, one, it’s a short movie of just 15 minutes, and two, you will really enjoy this one. I obliged, for, I wasn’t even given a choice.
A movie is played every 20 minutes in the 4D theater. There are four or five animation movies of 15 minutes duration each, and they are played in a cyclic order. Hence, it’s up to us, which movie to see and wait for our turn. My cousin pronounced that it is the effects that are more important and hence, it shouldn’t matter whichever movie we see. He made an agreeable statement, and so I obliged yet again. And that I am a first-timer, I didn’t thought it was wise to contradict my “guide”. So we purchased two tickets for the movie SOS Planet. As I stood in the line, the spectators of the previous show came out. Each one was having a puzzling expression on their face – some are giggling, some are shaking their head sideways, some are huffing and puffing. What’s the big deal about this 4D thing? In 5 mins, I would know.
I entered the tiny hall of close to forty big seats. Just at the entrance, the usher would hand over the 3D glasses, sporting which we gotta watch the movie. We were some ten people for this show and we seated ourselves scattered. My cousin suggested we take the second row. Next to him, one gentleman took the seat. Then the lights dimmed and the first slide were instructions to be strictly followed/obeyed while watching the movie. Two things caught my mind – one was, “…for safety reasons, please keep your hands and legs close to your body.” And the other one, “….this is strictly not for heart-patients and pregnant women”. The first one made no sense to me, but the second one upped the tempo for the movie. I thought I was in for an exhilarating heart-throbbing adrenaline pumping treat. After the instructions are orated, the narrator tells to wear the 3D glasses. I didn’t need this, for, I already had them on.
And lo, the movie begins. The earth appears on the screen, spinning with a rumbling sound. The earth was spinning right in front of me. The screen was at least twenty feet away from me, but everything is happening within inches’ distance. Some boring background narration goes on as to how deforestation is leading to global warming and destroying the earth. Then, we move into the polar ice caps. The camera zooms out of the eye of a walrus and then moves out showing many walruses and ends up close to the nostrils of a polar bear. Then this bear sneezes out loud; immediately the seat jerked and water sprayed on the face, to simulate the impact. Two cubs are playing there and suddenly a loud explosion – the ice cap has broken. This effect was so enthralling that you feel you are on top a cracking iceberg.
Then we move into the depths of the ocean. A turtle & sea-horse are playing merrily. Beautiful coral reefs are shown, and all kinds of sea animals appear. Then a school of tiny fish circle in and move in rhythm. The fish come so close to us; the gentleman next to my cousin was shoving them away. J then a big fishing net is thrown and all the sea denizens swim amok. There are plethora of dolphins that run into you; the effect is so breath-stopping, I jerked back as though trying to evade the dolphin from running into me. Mr. Gentleman announced that he had shut his eyes. He wasted thirty rupees with that act.
Next, we move to the jungles. We glide down huge trees and stop staring a branch. Coiled on that branch is a huge python. It slowly lifts its head, moves forward and comes straight at us. The snake’s face is right in front of my face; touching distance, I tell you. When it flickers the tongue, one may get a feeling that it may touch our face. To make this effect more realistic, air is shot from our seat right into our ears. The python’s hiss! So here I was, staring right into the green eyes of the python; I held tight on to my seat praying that this thing should go away from me. Damn, I have seen many snake episodes in Animal Planet and NGC, but this thing in front of me is just an animated object and it is sending shivers up my spine. That’s what 3D does, may be! The hissing effects aggravated the fear. Suddenly a chimpanzee appears on the branch and pulls the tail of this python. That’s when this green eyed monster looks away. Ahh, great relief. Two more chimpanzees join the branch, throw the python from the tree and start playing merrily, plucking fruits and splashing at each one. in this turmoil, one chimp throws a fruit at us as well. The fruit splash is again synced with the water splash from the front seat. Then we hear people's voices and they chop down these trees, that come down crashing with a deafening sound.
Huh, once again the narrator explains that what we have seen are the ill-effects of deforestation and global warming and that we have to save our planet. There ends the movie! After we came out, my cousin was eager for my feedback. I was truly impressed with the visual and audio effects. This is the first 3D movie i have ever seen, and so I was enthralled. I asked my “guide” how this 4D, differed from the 3D? He said that the seat movement and water splash effects make up the fourth D. This dude has done his thesis on the 4D.
I was thrilled with the effects and a hundred rupees for fifteen minutes’ of visual fantasy is very much worth. I decided I would visit this place again, during my next visit to Hyd, but I would sure check out if the movie has no snakes. Again, I don’t want to end up staring eye in eye, with a python.
