Kashmir's first multiplex screens Lal Singh Chaddha on opening day

Srinagar:Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday inaugurated the valley's first multiplex in Sonawar area of the city, ending the three-decade wait of the movie buffs to watch their favourite stars on the big screen.

"Inaugurated INOX multiplex theatre in Srinagar. Congratulations to the people, Sh. Vijay Dhar & INOX Group. A major socio-economic revolution is sweeping through J&K in the last 3 years,” Sinha tweeted soon after inaugurating the multiplex.

He said, “It is a reflection of a new dawn of hope, dreams, confidence and aspirations of people." The mulitplex management held a special screening of Aamir Khan-starrer 'Lal Singh Chaddha' after the inauguration ceremony.

The regular shows will start from September 30 with the screening of Vikram Vedha, starring Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan.

The first multiplex in Kashmir will have three movie theatres with a total capacity of 520 seats. The premises will also have a food court aimed at promoting the local cuisine.

The opening of the multiplex, which will be operated by INOX, comes close on the heels of the Lieutenant Governor inaugurating multipurpose cinema halls -- one each in the twin Pulwama and Shopian districts.

The cinema halls have reopened in the valley after three decades as theatre owners downed their shutters in the Valley due to threats and attacks by militants in 1989-90.

The Valley had seen nearly a dozen stand-alone cinema halls functioning till the late 1980s, but they had to wind up businesses after two militant outfits threatened the owners.

Though authorities made attempts to reopen some of the theatres in the late 1990s, militants thwarted such efforts by carrying out a deadly grenade attack on Regal Cinema in the heart of Lal Chowk in September 1999.

Two other theatres -- Neelam and Broadway -- had opened their doors but had to shut business due to poor response.