BHUBANESWAR: Lovers of Korean pop thronged the screening of a concert film ‘Love Yourself’ by a band Burn the Stage (BTS) at BMC Bhawani mall here Saturday.
Formed in 2013, the seven-member South Korean band, also known as Bangtan Boys, has recently gained huge fan following with the Indian audience, especially with teenage groups. The capital city too witnessed the fandom with long queues at the box office of INOX.
As a frenzied group of fans clicked selfies at the cinema hall, Aritra Deb, a 16-year-old member, said, “BTS is not just a band. It’s pure emotion. I was head over heels with them when I first heard ‘MIC Drop.’ I couldn’t understand what it meant but the groove and beats of the song were out of this world.”
Aritra is not the only fan who is hysterical about the band despite the language barrier. The shows that ran at INOX Bhawani mall and Regalia, reportedly drew a huge footfall of around 80% of total capacity of these theatres.
Chief Marketing Officer, INOX Leisure said, “The response to the shows has been overwhelming. We are drawing a young audience who are not just purchasing tickets but create a positive fun-loving environment in cinemas as well.”
“This is truly remarkable and a step forward for our chain of cinemas who welcome alternate content to be screened at our facilities,” he added.
Known for their large social presence, the BTS fan army is expected to grow even further with popular trend of K Pop among teenagers. This Korean wave, also known as Hallyu, came to light initially from the North Eastern past of India and is eventually finding its way into the entire country.
“I used to watch Korean movies only for a long time. BTS was the first Korean band which I came across and since then, I have been completely hooked onto it,” said Tshering Yangchen Bhutia from Sikkim.