(8 July 2006 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: UFO Moviez, the digital cinema network launched by Valuable Media Pvt Ltd. (an Apollo International subsidiary), announced the release of Krrish, the latest blockbuster starring Hrithik Roshan, directed and produced by Filmkraft Productions (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Krrish went out on 87 UFO screens in the first week and 90 UFO screens in week two. These UFO screens account for 15 per cent of the total number of screens that the film opened with and also marks the biggest ever digital release of a Bollywood blockbuster on a single digital network platform.

The movie has received one of the biggest openings in the history of Indian cinema - grossing close to Rs 700 million in its first week alone. Krrish opened at theatres across the world with 790 prints, 250 of them in overseas screens alone.

Also, Krrish was released for global digital screening with 925 cinema screens exhibiting the film worldwide. Thus, the network has made its presence felt by accounting for 10 per cent of the total digital film screens in the world to exhibit Krrish since its release two weeks ago.

UFO Moviez, spearheaded by founder directors Raaja Kanwar, Sanjay Gaikwad and Usman Fayaz, plans to create the largest chain of digital cinemas houses worldwide by 2007 in India. It is part of Group Apollo's Media Initiative and was launched by the company's chairman and managing director O S Kanwar and Yash Chopra in November 2005.

Having initially set up 500 digital movie halls by August 2006 at an investment of Rs 800 million, UFO plans to scale it up progressively to 2000 cinema halls across the country at a total investment of Rs 3 billion.

UFO International CEO Aditya Shastri said, "It is has been our privilege to be part of this success and bringing the latest in digital projection technology has surely been an advantage. We are proud of our association with Krrish and remain committed to ensuring pristine quality images with perpetual life with no compromise in quality. With Krrish's trouble free shows under our belt, we can definitely stake our claim to a stable and rugged technology of digital viewing. The overall response towards digital cinema has been extremely positive and will be a constant source of motivation for us."