Sathyam Cinemas - Chennai

Sathyam Cinemas is Chennai’s hottest entertainment destination for people from all walks of life, across a wide age group and user profile. At any time of the year, Sathyam Cinemas averages about 70% occupancy at its 6 screens in the heart of Chennai city, among the highest in the country. More facts about Sathyam are given below:

* 6 screens – total 2378 seats
* 250,000 tickets sold for movies on a average every month
* An average occupancy of 70%
* 8000 average footfalls in the complex on weekdays (Monday through Thursday)
* 15000 average footfalls in the complex on weekends (Friday through Sunday)
* 5000 Cars and 16000 Two wheelers parked per week in the complex’s parking lot

Centrally located off Chennai’s arterial Mount Road, Sathyam cinemas is a major draw to students, residents and professionals of all age groups throughout the week. With more than adequate parking for 400 cars in its main parking lot and an additional 100 at it’s newly opened Parking Annexe besides a capacity of 1000 two wheelers per show, advertisers are guaranteed a phenomenal touch point with potential customers when they choose Sathyam as their advertising destination.

Sathyam Cinemas is among the first in Chennai and the country to introduce Digital Projection (RDX) in its screens, houses its own bakery with a specialist chef who churns out the most delectable snacks and desserts around town and has a lot more lined up to give Chennai its finest entertainment experience.

Technology

In May 2005, Sathyam theatre became the first and only cinema theatre in India to utilise Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing(DLP) technology. To inaugurate the introduction of the RDX(TM) technology at the Sathyam screen, a major city-wide campaign was launched, which coincided the worldwide release of Star Wars Episode III. This became the first movie to be projected using the Digital technology.

Blur

It is a gaming domain opened exclusively by Sathyam Cinemas on its 4th, th and 6th floors in its main Ti-ru-vi-ka road complex. Blur contains the latest gaming consoles Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and a whole lot of latest games which can be played in their assigned consoles. The customer has to purchase a lifetime Blur card for Rs. 100. Rates are quite cheap coming at around 60 Rs./hour of playing on the consoles. In addition to the consoles, there are also computer games, as well as a bowling alley. A Blur cafe exclusively tends to the gamers too.

Idly and Dosa

A pure vegetarian South Indian restaurant on the first floor of Sathyam Cinemas complex. It caters to the vegetarians of Chennai.

The favorite food tipped to be a sell out with the masses is Bun and Plantain

Ecstacy

It is a café run by an exclusive French chef Mickáel Bessé. The café is located on the ground floor near the parking lot and offers delicious savouries and confectionery.

Pure Cinema

Pure Cinema is a concept wherein "memorable, award-winning" international movies are screened. As clearly explained in the FAQ section, Pure Cinema is just "regular cinema screened under a different brand". The sanctity of the original movie's language is maintained as only English subtitles are provided.

Blind Date

Blind date is an initiative wherein an unrealeased blockbuster movie is screened every Thursday at Studio-5. Movie-goers are not told anything with regard to the film prior to watching the movie. The website advises viewers to not bring children as adult-rated movies might also be screened.

Fuel

Fuel is the name of the pre-paid movie card which can be used to purchase movie tickets at Sathyam (online, at their counter or over the phone) and to purchase food and beverages at any of the counters within the cineplex.[8] It costs Rs. 300 for purchase and has an initial spending value of Rs. 250. It can be topped up when required. Movie-goers may also use the Fuel card in conjunction with cash and/or Credit card when purchasing movie tickets.

The Alive Foundation

Partnering with Ecotone, Sathyam Cinemas has established a Trust, The Alive Foundation. This trust has been started to facilitate environment education through films and the big screen experience.

St. Thomas Mount

St. Thomas Mount is a small hillock located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Located near the neighborhood of Guindy and close to the airfield in Chennai, St. Thomas Mount is associated with St. Thomas, the apostle of Christ, who is falsely believed to have been martyred here. The mount is commonly called in Tamil (Tamil language) "Parangi Malai", Belief claims 2000 years back a saint 'Parangi' 'Peeringi' munivar who lived here. Over period of time Anglo Indians predominated in this areas. A small relic-filled Church built in 1523 by the Portuguese stands at the summit of the 300 foot high St. Thomas Mount. The place was visited by Pope John Paul II during his visit to India on 5 February 1986. The Indian Army operates an Officers training Academy (OTA) on the mount. The South line of the Chennai suburban railway has a station named after St. Thomas Mount here.

According to popular myth, St. Thomas was one of the first Christians to reach India and to preach Christianity. He is believed to have reached South India in AD 52, and spent the last years of his life in a cave on this hill. Christian mythology claims that Thomas was assassinated by a shot of an arrow in AD 72, by persons hostile to him. Thus, the hillock acquired the name St. Thomas Mount.

A shrine dedicated to "Our Lady of Expectation" (Mother Mary was built in 1523 on top of the mount. It is believed that the altar of this shrine was built on the spot where St. Thomas was allegedly martyred in A D 72. At the northern foot of the Mount is a gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a cross bearing the inscribed date 1547. A flight of 160 steps leads up to the summit of the Mount. There are fourteen stations of the cross erected on the way to the summit.

The Baptismal Font (pictured) which existed at the Church on the St. Thomas Mount in 1680 has a rich history. This Font was shifted to the St. Mary's Church at Fort St. George in 1685. A plaque behind the Font explains history of the Font and the famous people who were Baptised here.

Charnockite rocks are found on the St Thomas Mount and a Geological Monument named as Charnockite, St. Thomas Mount has been installed by the Geological Survey of India at the entrance to the Mount.