Cinema is one of the most impactful forms of art in society. It is a window into the world around us. Movies, mirror and shape culture as well. They are reflective of people, their stories and personalities. It is a force that brings to light the social framework across the world traversing throughvarious sections of society and slices of life. Films create perception shifts, emotional evolution, provide mental stimulation, educate, create awareness and help build different perspectives – all of this while invoking feelings of joy, relatability, thrill, inspiration and so much more in their ability to enable a momentary escape to a different world.
While a large part of India enjoys cinematic experiences on the big screen as their most loved and preferred form of entertainment, many smaller villages and towns with limited television penetrationstill do not have avenues for entertainment such as theatres. For instance, in many rural areas, the nearest theatre is almost 150 kms away, leading to many villagers never having experienced a movie on the big screen or watched films even on TV.
To bridge this gap and spread the love of films on cinema screens, BookASmile, the charity initiative ofBookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination, took the cinematic experience to over 350 villages across India through its initiative ‘Reels in Wheels’.
BookASmile along with Caravan Talkies, an initiative by UFO Cine Media Network and Nargis Dutt Foundationtook the ‘Reels in Wheels’van across villages spanning 12 states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
Through the ‘Reels In Wheels’initiative, BookASmile was able to spread the magic of moviesand enable #SmilesForMiles for more than 72,000 men, women and childrenacross rural Indian villages who got the opportunity to watch popular regional movies such as Bhirkit(Marathi), K.G.F: Chapter 2 (Hindi), Lekh(Punjabi), Tu Mora OK (Odia), My Dear Bootham (Tamil), Malayankunju(Malayalam), Acharya(Telugu) in a specialised curated open–air setup.
