EKAL Hub, a Cine Chourangi Project led by Late Laxmanrao Mankar Smruti Sanstha, aims to provide entertainment, share knowledge, and serve as a learning hub for the rural parts of Maharashtra. The project will be launched in Nagpur on March 7. EKAL Hub will be launched in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari; Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis; Nagpur District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar; and Actor, Producer, and Director Ritesh Deshmukh. Late Laxmanrao Mankar Smruti Sanstha has been working in the field of education for the past 30 years and has provided educational opportunities to around 30,000 students from Naxal-affected regions.

 

The Cine Chourangi project, operated by this institution, has been launched with the objective of addressing the significant inequalities faced by rural communities in Maharashtra by providing high-quality entertainment and access to knowledge. Cine Chourangi plans to expand to 20 talukas over 18 months. Expand to 40 additional Talukas other than Vidarbha over the next 24-36 months and scale to 150 centers across Maharashtra, ensuring comprehensive coverage and competitive entertainment access. Social-economic upliftment, educational outreach, and cultural integration fall under the opportunity landscape of this project, driven by the vision of Hon. Nitinji Gadkari and a team of dedicated volunteers. This program operates without government funding. Every EKAL Hub creates direct employment opportunities offering youth valuable training in cinema operations, digital projection, and facility management. Beyond entertainment, EKAL Hubs serve as dynamic hubs for educational workshops, awareness campaigns, and student-led initiatives.

 

The cinema centers promote cultural preservation by showcasing regional narratives and introducing students to diverse perspectives through national cinema. The operating model has different time slots for Educational Programming, Non-Prime Shows, and Prime-Time Shows. The main auditorium will consist of 2 screens with 125 and 75 seats, featuring ergonomic seating, modern projection systems, and premium surround sound technology, meeting international cinema standards. Cine Chourangi is building more than cinema centres by creating EKAL Hubs for cultural and educational transformation across Maharashtra.