V Epiq, a massive multiplex theatre with Asia’s largest screen, at a small town of Sullurpet in Nellore district bordering Tamil Nadu, is going to down its shutters on Saturday, thanks to the abnormally low cinema ticket prices fixed by the Andhra Pradesh government.
Launched with a lot of publicity and fanfare on August 29, 2019, with the release of Prabhas-Shraddha Kapoor-starrer “Saho,” the multiplex with three screens is owned by acclaimed producer Vamsi Krishna, also the owner of V Celluloid chain of cinema theatres with over 50 screens in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and co-promoter of UV Creations.
The 656-seater theatre is now being closed as the exhibitor has realised that he cannot run it with the low cinema ticket rates fixed by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Sullurpeta being a municipality, the minimum ticket price has been fixed at Rs 60 and the maximum price at Rs 150 for a multiplex.
The theatres in V Epiq have only two classes and when it was opened in 2019, the ticket prices were fixed at Rs 100 and Rs 200.
“For the last nearly two years, the occupancy in this multiplex has come down drastically due to Covid-19 pandemic and also non-release of big films. And with the government fixing such low ticket prices, we can’t meet even the maintenance costs,” a source close to the multiplex said.
EPIQ, the state-of-the-art technology, has a big screen with a wall-to-wall 100-foot wide flat screen, plush ambience and stadium seating with every seat optimised for the best viewing experience.
Other specialities of this biggest screen are 4k resolution - 4k Barco Flagship Lazer projector with 56K lumens brightness with stunningly sharp images and Dolby Atmos sound – 360-degree immersive audio system with uber rich bass and ultra-crisp sound.
The other two screens have 140 seating capacity each. One of the screen is equipped with sub woofers under the seating floor (again one the first in India) which give an ultimate cinematic and sound experience to its viewers.
V Epiq is built in three acres of land which would soon have both indoor and outdoor gaming zones plus Fashion stores with some prominent clothing brands, Food courts and also Retail chains. The plan is to create an entertainment hub for every age group.
