Digital Projection displays visual forte in Jhansi

A spectacular new sound-and-light show featuring eight Digital Projection TITAN Laser 33000 4K-UHD projectors is immersing visitors in the story of a national heroine at the historic Jhansi Fort in northern India.

The 30-minute projection mapping experience uses state-of-the-art projection mapping technology to depict the life and death of Lakshmi Bai, the 22-year-old rani (queen) of Jhansi, who died fighting the British East India Company during the Indian Mutiny of 1857–1858. For the new sound-and-light show, system integrator PAN Intellecom Ltd created an impressive 270°, 83m-wide projection canvas on the walls of the hilltop Jhansi Fort, which was originally built in the 17th century and saw heavy fighting during the rebellion. PAN Intellecom also created the content for the show, which uses a mix of projection mapping, lasers, LED lights, lighting fixtures and a surround-sound system to bring to life Lakshmi Bai’s courage during the siege of Jhansi Fort.

“Along with all stakeholders, we worked day and night to achieve it. The outcome was spectacular, with applause coming in from all corners.”

The selection of the Digital Projection equipment was based on a “quality- and cost-based” system, explains PAN Intellecom director Harbir Singh, with the TITAN Laser projectors offering the best performance for projection mapping at a competitive price point. “The 33,000-lumen TITAN Laser 33000 4K-UHD projector was used because of the large canvas and the high brightness requirements,” he says. “As the audience sits close to the projected surface, 4K-UHD resolution was paramount to give a great viewing experience.”

In addition to the size of the fort, the projectors had to work with its challenging facade, which has been damaged and weathered over the past 400 years. “Being a heritage fort, built hundreds of years back, the challenge was to ensure the safety and integrity of the structure and still deliver a show that could mesmerise the audience,” adds Singh.

For the Jhansi Fort projection mapping installation, three TITAN Laser projectors are stacked in the centre and three on the right, with a further two on the left-hand side. Fitted with Digital Projection’s 2.56–4.16:1 zoom lens, the projectors have a long throw distance that make them very flexible.

Sankalp Srivastava, AGM of projects for PAN Intellecom, says the “Digital Projection equipment is a “perfect match” for the rest of the AV system, which also includes a Xeon processor, Dataton WATCHOUT software for blending and light recording, a Medialon server as an overall show controller, and a surround sound audio system featuring 12 Dual 12” speakers and four Dual 15” subwoofers” The Digital Projection team supported PAN Intellecom throughout the project, offering guidance on the projectors, lenses and their positioning on site, as well as during installation and commissioning. “We had a very good experience in working with the team – they supported us on every aspect during the tendering stage, as well as the execution stage,” he comments.

“As a creative director, it’s like a dream come true to narrate the story of Rani Lakshmi Bai through a 270° architectural projection-mapping show, the first of its kind in the country,” says Aman Arora, technical-creative director for the project. “Digital Projection’s TITAN Laser 33000 4K-UHD projector’s true reproduction of colours made life easier for the content and creative team, who had a huge challenge to deliver uniform colours on a facade with stones that have lost their colour in an uneven fashion over a period of time.”

“Being associated with India’s largest projection-mapping sound-and-light show in a fort complex is indeed a matter of great pride for Digital Projection, but what’s even more joyful is to see a satisfied customer, mesmerised visitors and a proud Digital Projection partner – a great combination that ensures even greater successes for Digital Projection in India in the years to come,” concludes Hemant Agarwal, head of the Delta Display Solution business unit for Delta India.