Nagpur’s Futala Musical Fountain is set to feature a 1-km sound installation with 36 speakers, according to Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, who recently assessed the delayed lakefront project and said its equipment remained in strong condition despite years of interruption.
The German-made d&b audiotechnik system comprises 24 top speakers, 12 subwoofers and imported amplifiers. Pookutty said the installation is among the longest sound systems of its kind in the world and has been designed to create a consistent audio experience across the open viewing gallery at Futala Lake.
Unlike a cinema hall, where acoustics are controlled within an enclosed space, the lakefront installation has to distribute sound over a wide outdoor area. The key technical challenge is maintaining similar clarity and volume for visitors seated at different points, without sudden changes in the sound level.
Pookutty returned to the site after nearly five years and said he was surprised by the condition of the equipment. “To my surprise, it is sounding fantastic,” he said, while noting that the system had remained exposed to changing weather conditions during the project’s prolonged interruption.
The fountain show is planned as a multimedia production combining sound, water jets, lighting and projections. Its presentation is also intended to tell a broader story about Nagpur, drawing on the city’s historical identity, ancient kingdoms, political upheavals, the freedom struggle and accounts associated with Zero Mile. Pookutty said the team consulted historians while developing the narrative.
The wider production includes contributions from Amitabh Bachchan, Gulzar, A R Rahman and technical director Alphonse Roy, among others. Pookutty said the sound system still requires programming and acoustic adjustments so that it can operate in synchronisation with the fountain, lights and projected visuals.
The project was initiated after Union minister Nitin Gadkari saw a production created by the team in Rhode Island, Pookutty said. He described the Futala installation as a departure from conventional film sound design and said similar large-scale shows he had seen in Singapore and the United States had influenced the concept.
The remaining work cannot be completed in a single day, according to Pookutty, who indicated that he may return to Nagpur for further technical adjustments. The report did not specify a final public opening date for the completed fountain show.
