04 October,2023 07:58 PM IST | Leh | mid-day online correspondent
The Himalayan Film Festival recently conculded in Leh
After five days of movies and magic, the second edition of The Himalayan Film Festival on Tuesday concluded with a grand ceremony, which was graced by actor Jaideep Ahlawat and filmmaker Avinash Arun and Swanand Kirkire as their film Three of Us closed the festival.
After a successful debut in 2021, the second edition of The Himalayan Film Festival, which was held in Leh, showcased wide-ranging movies, from the recently released blockbuster Jawan, streaming sensation Jaane Jaan, celebrated classics like Sholay and Haqeeqat to loved indie titles like Achal Mishra's Dhuin and Kenny Basumatary's Local Utpaat
Kareena Kapoor's Netflix thriller Jaane Jaan screened on the opening day of the festival in the 380-seater auditorium - which has audio-visual logistics provided by PictureTime, a homegrown innovative mobile theatre company known for its state-of-the-art inflatable digital cinemas.
The same auditorium saw the grand screening of Shah Rukh Khan's recently released Jawan on day two of the festival, which left the Ladakhi audience stunned as they cheered and clapped while witnessing the blockbuster on the big screen. In a special message to the audience, director Atlee thanked the viewers for coming to watch the film in Leh.
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"Jawan is a pure Indian emotion. Shah Rukh sir, Deepika mam, Nayanthara mam and everyone involved worked with their heart to make the film wonderful. Please do watch and let us know your comments on this," Atlee said.
Shah Rukh Khan's next collaborator, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, who has helmed the superstar's upcoming film Dunki, also had his film Lage Raho Munna Bhai screened at the festival's inflatable theatre (screen 2) by Picturetime.
Sushil Chaudhary, Founder, PictureTime Digiplex, said the second edition of The Himalayan Film Festival was "unique" and offered viewers a never-seen-before experience of enjoying their favourite films at the high altitude of Leh. PictureTime has engineered the audio-visual logistics of the auditorium on-site, alongside setting up an open screen and viewing experience at the festival's amphitheatre.
"For the first edition of The Himalayan Film Festival, we had the opportunity to screen some of the festival films at such high-altitude locations. It was a challenge, but we did it. For its second edition, we took care of the complete installation - audio, video as well as other elements required to mount a film festival. At PictureTime, we were happy to associate with team Anupama Chopra to plan something unique and different. This was the biggest, grandest film festival of any Himalayan destination which offered four days of an immersive film viewing experience," Sushil Chaudhary said in a statement.
The mega movie gala also witnessed insightful masterclasses with filmmakers like Vikramaditya Motwane, Amit Sharma and Kenny Basumatary, who was also seen acting alongside Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan.
The Himalayan Film Festival was organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) of the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh, in collaboration with Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh.