Pathaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, to be released on ICE and IMAX on January 25: all the details

Pathaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, is set to be released in India on January 25, beginning its theatrical run. The action thriller is among Bollywood’s first major releases of 2023 and is part of Yash Raj Films’ expanded YRF spy universe. With Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan finds a starring role in a mainstream film after more than four years, following Zero in 2018. The film is directed by Siddharth Anand and sees Shah Rukh Khan play an exiled field agent from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) brought back to fight a private terrorist organization.

Interestingly, Pathaan will be released in India in the popular IMAX format, and is also the first Indian film to be released in the new Immersive Cinema Experience (ICE) format which was recently unveiled in the country. Both of these formats promise to enhance the cinematic viewing experience – read on to find out how and where you can experience Pathaan in ICE and IMAX formats.

What is the Immersive Cinema Experience (ICE)?

The new ICE format promises to immerse viewing in an augmented and enhanced viewing experience, without disrupting the director’s original vision for the film. This involves the use of color lighting panels to add ever-changing lighting effects that blend with the content on the screen itself. This is visible in the viewer’s peripheral vision and does not distract attention from what is on screen, but rather complements it by reducing the amount of dark space around the screen.

Globally, films such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Batman have been released in this format. Pathaan is the first Indian movie to support the ICE format, and viewers will be able to enjoy it in supported cinemas. Currently, only two cinemas in India support the ICE format, both located in the Delhi-NCR region. PVR Ambience in Gurgaon and PVR Promenade in Vasant Kunj are ICE compatible and will screen Pathaan with this format in operation.

What is IMAX?

Viewers can also choose to watch Pathaan in the much more well-known and popular IMAX format. An abbreviation of Image Maximum, IMAX screens are present in cinemas in India spanning multiple cities and regions, and Pathaan will be shown in this format on supported screens.

At its core, IMAX is a proprietary system combining the use of high resolution cameras, film formats, projectors and movie theaters with high aspect ratio screens. This is usually 1.43:1 or 1.90:1, depending on location and screen size, but it tends to vary a lot. It also usually involves stiffer seating arrangements, and the whole experience is meant to be more cinematic and immersive than a regular theater.

Pathaan is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on April 25 in India, with the OTT version details revealed during a court case regarding the film. For now though, viewers can enjoy the film in cinemas across India.

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