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Adlabs Imagica, which opened its doors to visitors recently, prides itself on being a "world-class" theme park but has a heart that is distinctly Indian. It features 21 attractions including rides, film shows and live acts whose designs draw largely from local mythology and cinema. Already touted as the country's answer to Disneyland, the park could soon become a fixture in itineraries of both international and native tourists.
Spread across a 110-acre expanse in Khopoli on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Imagica has been planned cleverly. There are neatly divided areas to entertain different sections of the family - an adrenaline zone with gravity-defying rides for teenagers, a kids' area that has junior roller coasters and a calm space by the lake where adults can catch their breath or refuel with food and drink.
Perhaps even more remarkable than Imagica's offerings are the extremely polite men and women who mind it at different points - security checks, food courts, baggage and ticket counters. They are locals, mostly from Khopoli or Navi Mumbai, who seem hospitable even as they utter ominous greetings such as "Welcome to the Wrath of the Gods" to introduce rides. If the staff can maintain this affability when the crowds swell, it would certainly win the park brownie points over rivals.
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Among the innovative experiences is I for India. The film, shot aerially across several destinations after 18 months of seeking necessary permissions, is screened for visitors after they fasten their seatbelts and are lifted off the ground. If you can forget that your feet are dangling awkwardly from an elevated chair without a place to rest your arms, it could make you feel like you are gliding across the country and glimpsing its landscapes and monuments. The North East of India does not feature in it because the crew could not secure approvals to shoot there. The scenes are beautiful though showed in a great hurry to keep the film's length in check.
'Wrath of the Gods' is an attraction that displays the fury of the forces that control wind, fire and water at man's interference with nature. Featuring splashes of water, angry flames and gusts of air, it acts as a fun lesson for children in respecting the environment.
Imagica's location between the cities of Mumbai and Pune will ensure that thrill seekers can skip mundane plans at malls or restaurants and instead drive their families to an adventure-filled expedition.
Entrepreneur Manmohan Shetty raised Rs 1,600 crore to build the park modelled on Universal Studios because he felt India's burgeoning middle class was ready for it. The park is of and for India, though not entirely by it -the team of experts that created the blueprints was mostly foreign with CVs that boast experience at Disney and Universal. In the four years spent making Imagica, the experts learned a lot about Indian visitors, including facts like they "don't like to walk or wait in lines." Shetty's daughters Aarti and Pooja worked alongside to infuse local flavours in the content of the attractions.
A shuttle allows people to hop on and off at various locations inside the park. However, they will need to add more of these given that Imagica has a capacity to accommodate about 15,000 people and plans to attract two to three million visitors a year.
The instructions and narration are largely in Hindi, as the park hopes to attract Indian tourists within the state as well as from other states. They could add an English translation for the convenience of visitors from other countries. Versions of the park will be started in different states if the idea takes off as expected. A water park and a hotel facility are also in the works. If the response is encouraging, a new attraction could be added every year.
The tickets cost Rs 1,200 for adults and Rs 900 for children on weekdays. On weekends, the prices increase by Rs 300. These rates are not incredibly cheap but will burn a much smaller hole in the pocket than a trip to Disneyland. Those who can throw in an extra Rs 1,000 per ticket can join the express line and cut waiting times. Essel World, the 64-acre amusement park located in Gorai, has relatively affordable tickets priced inside Rs 700 but the attractions at Imagica are more inventive and partly educational.
Enjoy it while the paint is fresh and the queues are still not serpentine.
