Hindi
Big Cinemas launches a multiplex in Ajmer, Rajasthan
MUMBAI: BIG Cinemas continues with its expansion plans with carefully chosen revenue centers and launches yet another property in Ajmer, Rajasthan in association with Ansal A.P.I. The Big Cinemas Multiplex is located at the Ansal Courtyard Mall. The Big Cinemas, multiplex in Ajmer is Reliance MediaWorks 98th multiplex in India, and 7th in Rajasthan. The new Big Cinemas multiplex provides a perfect venue for the inaugural run of new movie releases in Ajmer.
The new Big Cinemas multiplex will enhance the cinema viewing experience in Ajmer. This cinema is equipped with 2K projection system and Digital Dolby sound, along with 3D screen capabilities for both the screens. Spread across an area of approximately 9,000 sqft the new Big Cinemas multiplex has 2 screens and luxurious seating arrangements. A visit to the new Big Cinema will also be a gastronomic experience as you can choose from an array of fresh burgers, sandwiches and wraps.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Venkatesh Roddam, CEO Reliance MediaWorks said, “”We’re looking forward to providing the people of Ajmer a truly state-of-the-art multiplex and a fantastic new amenity that’s fitting for this excellent location. At Big Cinemas our clients will have the best cinema experience and a great choice of movies close by. The North West is proving to be a key area for Reliance MediaWorks and we’re very pleased that Ajmer is welcoming us and taking its place as a significant part of our national business.”
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Ashish Saksena COO Big Cinemas said, “We want to ensure that Ajmer is at the forefront of cutting edge cinema entertainment and our investment in the city highlights our commitment and dedication to creating the ultimate entertainment experience for everyone in the area. “
The two-screen multiplex will offer patrons the luxurious ‘Big Cinemas’ experience. Big Cinemas looks to set the bar for delivering the premium cinema-going experience to the people of Ajmer.
At Big Cinemas ‘You Matter’, our mission is to deliver an unforgettable entertainment experiences, and we look forward to presenting the world’s biggest blockbusters in the world’s most immersive cinematic format to the people of Ajmer. Mr. Saksena added.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
