The Odyssey has begun its journey, and Mumbai was fortunate to be to be among its earliest chapters, Mayur Sanap documents the film’s premiere in the city.
Key Points
- Mumbai became one of the first stops in the global journey of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
- The Mumbai premiere brought together the filmmaker, Matt Damon and Tom Holland and fans for a memorable event.
- The special screening got Indian audiences to experience The Odyssey a week before of its worldwide release.
Nolan Mania Takes Over Mumbai
Few foreign filmmakers enjoy the kind of following Christopher Nolan has in India.
Since the time Nolan landed in Mumbai with The Odyssey, the Internet hasn’t stopped talking about it. For days, social media has been flooded with photographs and videos of Nolan, Tom Holland and Matt Damon taking over the city, while fans tracked every sighting like a live event!
The Mumbai visit wasn’t just another stop on a carefully planned world tour.
As Nolan revealed during the press conference, he had long hoped to premiere one of his films in the country.
The 2020 sci-fi thriller Tenet was originally meant to be that moment before the pandemic altered those plans. With The Odyssey, he finally got his wish.
Mumbai became home to the special screening for The Odyssey a full week before it opens worldwide on July 17.
The chance to be among the first audiences worldwide to experience Nolan’s latest big-screen spectacle was irresistible.
Walking into the venue, you could immediately sense the same excitement with other film lovers.
Massive posters of The Odyssey towered over the entrance of an IMAX theatre, which is tucked inside a busy mall. Curious shoppers quickly became a swarm of fans, crowding behind the barricades, with their phones held high. Security was understandably tighter than what we are usually accustomed to at such film gatherings.
The evening, however, didn’t begin smoothly.
The first hour involved long, sluggish queues as journalists, including senior critics, were asked to wait at the entrance under Mumbai’s humid July weather, testing everyone’s patience. The queues for media and fans were mixed up leading to more chaos. The early crowd management felt a little chaotic at that point.
Thankfully, the mood never dipped.
Once inside, everyone was directed towards the registration counters where media and fan badges were handed out before entering the auditorium. Those badges instantly became little souvenirs. Almost everyone paused to hold them up against the giant posters for a perfect click.
The last time I remember feeling this kind of excitement before a film screening was for Avengers: Endgame seven years ago.
The same feeling that everyone in the room knew they were about to witness something special. The same eager conversations about how the film would be like. For a brief while, it felt like nobody was really a stranger. Everyone was simply a film buff.
This is the kind of atmosphere only cinema can create.
The Odyssey-themed Popcorn Bucket
The staff welcomed everyone warmly before directing us towards another surprise waiting nearby.
Sitting neatly on the counter was the now-famous IMAX camera-shaped collectible popcorn bucket. Yes, the very one Christopher Nolan himself had proudly shown off during promotions alongside his cast members. Shaped liked an IMAX 15/65mm camera, it is the same large-format camera Nolan used to shoot his latest spectacle.
It looked wonderfully designed, sleek and undeniably eye-catching. Carrying popcorn was a little cumbersome, though. People admired it, laughed about how bulky it looked, and carefully carried this exclusive piece of film memorabilia.
Unlike regular media screenings, the seating inside the massive IMAX auditorium was already assigned, making the process well organised once everyone entered.
Then came the first surprise.
Before the lights dimmed, organisers announced that Christopher Nolan himself would interact with the audience after the screening. The auditorium erupted in applause.
Organisers had also enforced a strict no-phone and no-recording policy before the screening, and remarkably, everyone respected it. There were no glowing screens, no interruptions and no distracting cellphone notifications. This was combined with the decision to present the film without an interval.
What a joy it is to watch a film in one uninterrupted stretch!
With that, the euphoria of Nolan’s cinematic epic began.
More Than A Screening
When the credits rolled, the filmmaker walked onto the stage to a deafening standing ovation. And then came another delightful surprise.
It was one thing to know Nolan was coming, it was another to suddenly find the film’s leading stars joining him on stage. Walking beside Nolan were actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland as well as his producer-wife Emma Thomas.
The resounding cheers and wide smiles could attest the collective disbelief in the auditorium. The applause became even louder.
Later, Holland smilingly puts it: “Indian audiences bring an energy to movie theatres unlike anywhere else.”
Affirmative in every sense!
Speaking to the audience, Nolan reflected on achieving something he had wanted to do for years — launching his latest film in India and letting Indian audiences become among the first in the world to experience it. Looking around the enthusiasm, it was easy to see why that decision mattered.
Damon looked genuinely moved by the reception, acknowledging how much it meant for him to see audiences respond to years of hard work.
Then came a lovely moment as the four of them gathered for a happy photograph with the entire auditorium.
The Odyssey has begun its journey, and Mumbai was fortunate to be to be among its earliest chapters.
After the interaction ended, there was a shared sense among those walking out that they had been part of a memorable evening.
Some films entertain you. Others stay with you.
This one did both, reminding us why Christopher Nolan’s films become events long before they become box-office successes.
