Sensation Insomnia (Lakdi-ka-Pul)

Sensation Insomnia was one of the first theaters to suck up the flab, grow muscle and hit back hard at the multiplex. The first in line of this reinvention was the drastic change in the name. It's not Sensation anymore. It totally did away with that worn-out plaque and replaced it with a more glittery Sensation Insomnia. That's about 2 name changes in a decade - ancient Hyderabadis would know that it was called Meera Deluxe until as late as the mid-90s.

The rumor is that they added the Insomnia as a last ditch attempt to make the audience stay awake in the theater, what with the kind of movies that hit the screens these days. Sensation mostly shows new releases for a week - both Hindi and Telugu.

Located in an SEC B lane of Lakdi-ka-Pul that's teeming with random stores and looking dangerously like the neighbouring Chintal Basti, Sensation Insomnia isn't a place you'd go to on your honeymoon, or even on someone else's. It's certainly the more presentable of the twins, but the same crowds hit both this one and Meera, and they're certainly not comfortable with grace and elegance.

As soon you enter the theater, it hits you that the place is not as big as you expected it to be. Then you realize what the misleading affect is - the seating system. Each row is placed at twice the distance from its preceding one as that in most other theaters. Then you see the seats. And you yelp in esctasy. They're solo sofas. Yup - leather, fluff and comfort all the way. Perhaps the best seats in the city. And all the more reason not to call it Insomnia.

The rest of the place isn't too bad either. Clean interiors and toilets, separate smoking zones, and an amazing audio experience. If only the screen were also as good.

Overall, Sensation Insomnia is among the better places to catch a movie if you're looking for comfort. Just excuse the neighbourhood with its bread-omelette bandis and their customers.

Also read: Meera