Mumbai: VKAAO, India’s first ever ‘theatre-on-demand’ service that enables individuals to choose the films that play in their local theatres, is ensuring that no cinema buff misses out on Mantra, Nicholas Kharkongor’s much-awaited crowdfunded indie movie. With a stellar star cast that includes acclaimed artists such as Rajat Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, Adil Hussain, and Lushin Dubey, the movie is scheduled for release in cinema halls across Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru on 17th March, 2017. Film lovers in other parts of the country can immerse themselves in the fantastic performances and the engaging narrative by creating a screening with VKAAO in their own cities.
VKAAO has been altering the movie-watching experience in India by creating several exciting opportunities for good cinema to reach theatres and audiences through a community-led approach. It has previously organized pre-release screenings of critically-celebrated films such as LION and Split, democratising entertainment consumption across the country. By exclusively offering film lovers the chance to watch Mantra in cities where it won’t be releasing in cinemas, VKAAO is popularizing the idea of creating screenings for likeminded individuals who share similar movie watching tastes through the concept of #LetsVKAAO.
Speaking on the exclusive availability of Mantra on VKAAO, Kamal Gianchandani, CEO – PVR Pictures Ltd, said, “Mantra is one of the most relevant films to have been made for the 1990s’ generation in India. With its talented star cast, the film is sure to be a visual and sensory treat and we’re pleased to offer access to it in cities where it won’t be seeing an in-cinema launch. With this move, VKAAO is inching further towards its mission of empowering audiences to choose exactly the movies they wish to watch, at their preferred location and time. We are also ensuring that no cinema lover in the country is deprived of the best artistic work that is being produced in India and across the world.”
Rajat Kapoor, lead actor of the film said, “Mantra is a labour of love for all of us. The film has been crowdsourced and we have all invested so much in it as artists. The moment I read the script I knew that I wanted to work on this project. It’s one of the few films in India that maps the impact of the economic reforms and the entry of multinationals in the country. I’m thrilled that VKAAO is helping us take this movie to audiences beyond Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. I urge all lovers of good cinema to get together with their friends and others who share the same passion as them and create screenings of Mantra in their cities with VKAAO.”
Directed by theatre artist Nicholas Kharkongor, Mantra revolves around the forces of globalization that swept through the ‘New India’ post 1991. The film is inspired by the takeover of an iconic Indian brand by a multinational. Kapil Kapoor, played by Rajat Kapoor, the owner of King Chips, fights a losing battle against the multinational giant, Kipper Crisps, while his wife and his three children deal with their own set of problems in this time of turbulence.
