Bikram Ghosh and wife Jaya Seal Ghosh play Romeo & Juliet as they try out the special chairs at Fame (Hiland Park); (below) the Wall of Fame which features Satyajit Ray. Pictures by Pabitra Das and Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Calcutta went multiplex a couple of years back when Rituparno Ghosh unveiled Chokher Bali at INOX (Forum). Some of the reels might have got muddled during the first screening but the city was clear about its verdict ? give us comfortable seats, cheese popcorn and the many-in-one screen option, anyday.

Friday night saw Calcutta?s fourth multiplex coming alive with another Rituparno period piece, Antarmahal. And by the time the four simultaneous screenings came to a close, the city?s cinebuffs had found a new cine stop and party hangout: Fame (Hiland Park).

Snippets from the Fame experience, nice and early...

USP: The Fame multiplexes in Mumbai have always been synonymous with big premieres and even bigger pre-premiere or post-premiere parties. And Calcutta got a taste of what?s in store at the Hiland Park property when the cocktails were served at the Antarmahal screening. A huge space in front of the four screens has been specially allotted to host those lavish late-night extravaganzas. ?We are definitely planning to fly down Bollywood stars to the premieres here and we will give the city a flavour of the real thing,? said Shravan Shroff, managing director of Shringar Cinemas.

Wall of Fame: The wall in front of the Box Office (ticket counter) at Fame (Hiland Park) is not filled with Garam Masala and Shaadi No. 1 posters but with a local icon from the world of cinema. The first occupant is Satyajit Ray, of course. A framed picture of Ray with a brief biography of his, mentioning all his masterpieces, is a nice touch. ?We plan to feature all the film greats from this part of the world in the months to come,? added Shravan.

Shravan Shroff

Comfortably numb: Comfort takes on a new meaning when it comes to watching movies at Fame. Apart from extended row-to-row spacing and ample legroom, the last rows of all the theatres with the Royal Chairs take film-viewing into club class, in the lap of luxury but with the feel of home. Then you have the Romeo & Juliet chairs that give lovey-dovey twosomes plenty of privacy.

Time to kill: Premiere done, the curtains at Fame (Hiland Park) will go up for one and all ?sometime in the first week of November?. And while competition (read, INOX and 89 Cinemas) dropped in for a drink on Friday evening, the big-screen battle is bound to hot up with Fame?s entry. Vikas Syal of INOX (Forum) said: ?The city can do with more multiplex screens and new players will definitely open up the market.?

Coming up after the pleasantries: the plex wars, price tag and all.