Ever since the news of 2 IMAX screens coming to Hyderabad spread, movie lovers are excited to the core. Fans want to experience Mahesh Babu and S.S. Rajamouli’s Varanasi on the big IMAX screen, but there’s an important detail about the Varanasi IMAX format that audiences should know.
What Makes Varanasi’s IMAX Format Special?
Director S.S. Rajamouli’s Varanasi was shot specifically for the IMAX format, making it the first Indian film and the first non-English film in history to feature sequences in the true 1.43:1 IMAX aspect ratio. The film was shot natively using IMAX-certified digital cameras to capture the “vertical scale” of its epic worlds. It is not a post-conversion upscale.
Understanding IMAX Aspect Ratios
The 1.43:1 IMAX format is taller and closer to the original IMAX experience, showing up to 40% more image than standard theaters. This format fills the entire IMAX screen from top to bottom, creating an immersive viewing experience.
The 1.90:1 digital IMAX format is wider and displays up to 26% more picture than standard theaters, but not as much vertical space as the true 1.43:1 format.
AMB Classic Victory’s IMAX Screen Details
The IMAX screen coming to AMB Classic Victory will present films in a 1.90:1 aspect ratio, not the full 1.43:1 format. AMB is bringing IMAX with a flat ratio, not true IMAX.
So, fans can enjoy Varanasi on IMAX in Hyderabad, but it will be screened in the 1.90:1 aspect ratio, not the true 1.43:1 aspect ratio that Varanasi was shot in. While this is still a significant upgrade over standard screens, it won’t showcase the full vertical scope that Rajamouli captured with IMAX cameras.