Friends Cinemas' New Hall Operational in Ilam from Today

A new branch of Friends Cinemas has commenced operations in Ilam starting today. Actor Paul Shah inaugurated the new facility.

Kathmandu. There is good news for cinema lovers in the tourist city of Ilam. Friends Cinema, which is already operating successfully in Dharan and Butwal, has launched its third branch in the eastern hill district of Ilam.

The new branch, located in Ilam Municipality-7, was formally inaugurated on Friday during a grand ceremony. The event saw the special presence of popular Nepali film actor Paul Shah, renowned actress Usha Upreti, and action director/producer Chandra Pant. 

The enthusiasm of the local audience was remarkable as they got to see their favorite artists up close. The dense presence of spectators and cheering at the hall premises turned the program into a festive occasion.

Built with an investment of approximately 35 million rupees, the hall has a seating capacity of 188. Operating within the municipality's multi-story parking building, the cinema utilizes world-class technology.

According to Pradeep Dhami, Chairman of Friends Cinemas, the hall is equipped with 2K projection and a Dolby Digital sound system, allowing audiences to experience the same high-quality audio and visuals found in expensive multiplexes in Kathmandu. 

Operators Pradeep Dhami, Pushkar Ghimire, and Ashish Tamang stated that the hall was opened to provide Ilam's audience with the opportunity to watch films in a family-friendly and well-equipped environment.

Chairman Dhami said, "Our goal is to provide viewers outside the capital with services of Kathmandu's standards. Now, the compulsion for Ilam's film lovers to travel down to Jhapa just to watch quality cinema has ended. We have prioritized comfortable seating and a family atmosphere alongside cutting-edge technology."

The arrival of Friends Cinema has added a new milestone to the local entertainment sector at a time when Ilam lacked high-quality cinema halls. With this hall becoming operational, new Nepali films will be screened in Ilam on the same day they are released nationwide. This adds a great entertainment destination not only for local residents but also for tourists visiting Ilam.

Friends Cinema informed that it plans to expand its chain to other cities across the country in the coming days. Ashish H. Tamang, Director of Friends Cinema, mentioned the plan to expand to other districts whenever possible. He believes that to expand the market for Nepali films, the domestic market must be strengthened first.

Contending that an environment for watching movies in theaters still does not exist for viewers living outside major cities, Tamang says that if small cinema houses are opened district by district, the domestic market could more than double from its current state.