Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Escape to a blind date at the mall
Publication: The New Indian Express, Edition: Chennai, Supplement: Expresso, Journalist: Venkadesan S,
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ESCAPE TO A BLIND DATE AT THE MALL
Venkadesan S goes on a Blind Date and is not at all disappointed with the experience
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EVER gone on a blind date? They have been doing it for decades in the West and in the USA. In­dians are relatively new to a blind date, but it's catching on fast. A blind date hangs on suspense and thrill, and is also a very real chance of end­ing up pretty disappointed. All's part of the blind date game. So, how about a blind date to a movie?
That's the gist of this story. Normally, people go watch a movie if they hear a good word about it. Then, there are those who are the first-day-first-show types, having quite another experience, hoping to cash in on the pre-release hype.
Blind date movies are fur­ther removed. Audiences just don't know what will hit the screen till the title-card pops up. That is the thrill Sathyam Cinemas offers the audience once a week. Called 'Blind Date', it is the premiere of a movie that releases every Fri­day, the movie is screened on the evening of the previous day, i.e. Thursday. Bookings start a week before. Blind Dates have been on for the last two years at the Studio 5
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Screen, Sathyam Cinemas.
Last Thursday, Escape at Express Avenue Mall picked up the baton, with its first 'Blind Date' at the Spot. Ac­tors Parthiban, Pasupathi and TV anchor Ramya were present, handing over gift vouchers to a few blind date buffs who gave the right an­swers to queries about last Thursday's 'Blind Date'.
Manik, a businessman who has been on several blind dates at Sathyam Cinemas, didn't miss the first one at Escape. "There is always a risk in booking tickets for a blind date movie. You don't know what type of movies they would screen, and if it turns out to be one you don't like, it's a disappointment. But there is a thrill to it and this brings people to the the­atre," says Manik.
Sairam, an accounts man­ager in a private firm, ex­pected it to be one of the Tamil Diwali releases but ended up watching Due Date, a Hollywood movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. But Due Date sure is the perfect choice for a first Blind Date.
—Venkadesan S