Devgn CineX has become the first cinema in India to install ButtKicker tactile seating, adding a physical layer to the big-screen experience. The technology was showcased during a special screening of Jailer 2 Rajinikanth-starrer, hosted by ARK Infosolutions, is a leading value-added distributor and reseller for technology products & services in M&E.
The concept is straightforward. ButtKicker converts a film’s low-frequency audio into vibrations that audiences can feel through specially equipped seats. So when a fight breaks out, an explosion hits or a car tears through the frame, the action does not stop at the screen.
Developed by The Guitammer Company, an American electronics manufacturer based in Westerville, Ohio, ButtKicker uses low-frequency transducers fitted inside or beneath the seats. The system works with the cinema’s existing sound setup and responds to the low-end audio already present in a film. No special programming is required, meaning the technology can work across Hindi, regional and Hollywood releases.
At Devgn CineX, a luxury multiplex and cinema, that tactile layer sits alongside Dolby, an American technology corporation, audio technology. The Thane property has five screens and 953 seats, including the all-recliner Amor luxury auditorium, with Dolby 7.1, an 8-channel surround sound system developed by Dolby Laboratories and Dolby Atmos, an immersive, 3D audio technology, configurations across its auditoriums.
The timing is telling. With streaming platforms making home viewing easier, cinemas are increasingly looking for ways to make the theatrical experience harder to replicate. Bigger screens and louder sound are no longer enough. The seat now wants a role too.
ButtKicker says its technology is already deployed across more than 45,000 cinema seats in 11 countries. The Thane installation marks its entry into India’s cinema exhibition space.
ARK Infosolutions, the authorised ButtKicker distributor in India, handled the design, installation and calibration of the system. Its cinema vertical has also worked on Dolby cinema audio solutions, including servers, audio processors, amplifiers and speakers. SR Seating supplied the seats made ready for the ButtKicker system.
The Guitammer Company president Mark Luden shared, “Bringing ButtKicker to India for the first time, at a venue with the vision and scale of Devgn CineX, is a landmark moment for us. It shows what’s possible when a cinema operator invests in experiences that go beyond the screen. We’re proud to partner with ARK Infosolutions on this, and we see it as the first of many such deployments across the country.”
Devgn CineX senior vice president, business development and projects, Sanntosh Shelar stated, “At Devgn CineX, our goal has always been to give audiences a reason to choose the big screen. Introducing ButtKicker, alongside Dolby sound across all our auditoriums, is a significant step in that direction. We’re proud to be the first cinema in India to offer this experience. It is by far the best way to put our dear audience in the centre of all action, drama and of course the song and dance routines.”
