Delhi's iconic PVR Priya makes a comeback after revamp with giant screen

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the cinema in its new avatar that boasts PVR P(XL) technology becoming first in capital and ninth overall in India to have homegrown large screen format

PVR Priya may have just pulled off more comebacks than acting greats do in the see-saw world of cinema.

From starting out as one of New Delhi’s iconic single screens in 1978 to a makeover in 1990 followed by an embrace of brand Priya Village Roadshow (PVR) in the late 90s, the South Delhi theatre was reopened on Wednesday with a gigantic new screen designed by its own proprietary technology.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the cinema in its new avatar that boasts the PVR P(XL) technology — becoming the first in the capital and ninth overall in India to have the homegrown large screen format. The new screen is 9 metres high and 19 metres wide, while the revamped auditorium has a capacity of 316 seats that are plush and offer more legroom than earlier. Tickets are on offer between Rs 200 and Rs 400 for the regular seats, and Rs 400-750 for 16 recliners at the back.

Kejriwal also launched an initiative called “Urban Placemaking”, taken up by the multiplex chain to transform the public spaces around the cinema.

Long before swankier shopping centres and hangout hubs mushroomed in other parts of Delhi and neighbouring Gurugram to woo people, the original home of PVR — not far from the diplomatic enclaves of Chanakyapuri — had turned into a favourite haunt for youngsters in the 1980s and ’90s. The posh Priya market, originally called Basant Lok Market, was a mix of high-end stores, pubs, restaurants and bookstores with the eponymous cinema as the cherry on the cake.

“PVR Priya has a lot of nostalgic value, many people bunked college or met their first dates here,” said Sanjeev Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd.

Its 1990 revamp with 944 seats and subsequent success led to the birth of PVR, which was incorporated in April 1995. The waiting area had a “100 Years of the Movies” section with individual posters from different decades. The multiplex firm has retained its single-screen charm as a tribute. And, as a throwback to its journey, one now finds a “legacy wall” next to the reception with posters of the biggest blockbusters from 1978 to 2018, when PVR Priya staged its last screening in June before being shut.

Before Covid-19 turned our lives upside down, 90 per cent of the renovation had been completed. But lockdowns dragged it for another year, said Bijli.

The pandemic has dealt a body blow to the entertainment industry, with cinemas forced to down shutters or wiped off altogether in the past 18 months.

PVR Cinemas, which is India’s largest film retail firm, has managed to reopen nearly 500 of its 846 screens in the past one month after braving a year of plummeting revenues. It has also renovated PVR Anupam, another evocative venue in South Delhi that was the first to adopt the PVR brand in 1997, but is awaiting a licence. Mumbai, where PVR has 100-odd screens, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are among places where its screens remain shut.

Bijli admitted that luring people back to the theatres after 18 months of getting used to an indoor lifestyle was a task for PVR.

“We have to try all sorts of things. It’s not just about the seats, but also the F&B, sound and projection. We are always pushing the boundaries to develop a premium experience. We have vaccinated our staff and followed all Covid-19 protocols. Next comes content. Once the cinemas open to full capacity, people will come back,” he said.

Currently, cinemas in Delhi are operating with a 50 per cent cap on seating.

As PVR Priya was gradually overshadowed by newer cinemas and its footfall declined, the company also turned its focus on the surroundings, which resulted in the “Urban Placemaking” plan. PVR joined hands with Future Institute, a not-for-profit research platform, to spruce up the area.

“Community centres in Delhi have got dilapidated because of the rise of the malls, as there was no focus on them. But they have much value in terms of providing alternative sources of recreation for consumers,” Bijli explained, adding that the project had given a facelift with proper lighting, infrastructure and greenery to ensure audiences returned in bigger numbers.

On Wednesday, PVR Priya started its fresh comeback with a 4pm screening of the Akshay Kumar-starrer spy thriller, Bell Bottom.

PVR P(XL) features

•     BARCO dual laser projection with active image control

•     RealD 3D digital stereoscopic projection

•     Dolby ATMOS sound with 41 channels

•     Harkness Clarus edge-to-edge giant screen for 2D and 3D viewing experience

•     Total cost of system including projection and sound: Rs 7 crore