Lining up for shopping paradise. A Telegraph file picture

If you ask anybody in Jamshedpur what is it they miss the most, don’t be surprised to get the same answer from every second person you meet. The answer would either be a shopping mall or a good cinema hall. The city, otherwise popular for its cosmopolitan culture, has almost nothing to offer to its people when it comes to quality entertainment.

All old cinemas have either closed down or are in shambles, while the concept of a good shopping mall was almost unheard of in the steel city even a few years back.

But with the real estate boom in Jharkhand after the formation of the new state, this sector, too, is witnessing a slow and gradual growth. Today, several big players have shown an interest in setting shops in the city and are vying for adequate plots of land in and around the city to start their venture.

And leading the way in this spectre is none other than eminent film director Prakash Jha. His project of a four screen multiplex is in the final stages and construction would begin soon. Estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 50 crores, this mega mall cum multiplex would be set up under the banner of Adlabs films in Mumbai.

Jha, who was in the city recently had revealed that apart from the multiple screen theatre, the mall would also have a zone for children and their entertainment. The filmmaker, however, also plans to open twinplexes in other cities like Bokaro, Dumka and Hazaribagh.

Another major project which created quite an uproar in the city recently was the coming of INOX and Big Bazaar to the city near Hotel Regent in Bistupur. To be built by city-based Sharada constructions, this project would undoubtedly be the beginning of a fresh new chapter for quality entertainment in the city. But unlike the project by Jha, which has been in the headlines, not much has been heard of this project for sometime now.

And while big outstation players set their eyes on the city, those back home, too, are changing with times. Basant cinema, which was closed down last year, recently held a series of talks with Reliance Retail network to set up a state-of-the-art commercial complex in place of the existing structure. Sources at the cinema revealed that the design teams are visiting metropolises to study the various concepts of multiplexes there. The work here is slated to begin in December.

But it’s not just the lovers of films, who have good news in store for them. Shopaholics, too, have a lot to look forward to.

With Vishal mega mart setting shop in the city recently, the place is gradually opening to a chic market scenario. Today, Tata Steel has received land requests from over half a dozen companies willing to invest in showrooms by bigger brands in the city. The steel major has received various requests from well known bodies, but the final decision would be taken only when the report prepared by Jusco is ready. One such big name is Westside, which, too, is a Tata concern. As per the deal, Jusco would have to study the most feasible areas in the city and give a final draft report to Tata Steel and the various projects would begin thereafter.

While shopping malls and multiplexes are on the anvil, the hospitality sector, too, would see a boost. IndioONe, the range of economic hotels by Taj Group, too, has acquired a spot in a prime locality in Bistupur to build a hotel.