Luxury viewing: How multiplexes are getting movie fans to theatres

Ticket prices are worth for the technology, leather seats and gourmet food at theatres, say companies

When actor Sunny Deol’s movie Gadar 2 was released on August 11, Shubhi Singhal watched it in a luxury theatre near her home in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka.

“No doubt the ticket was for Rs 1,300 per head for PVR Luxe Prime but this is an investment on a bespoke experience. The staff does everything to make you comfortable like if you want ice cold water, or a blanket you can get it on demand. The seating is luxurious leather sofas and there is so much space between the seats,” says Singhal, 33, a homemaker.

Viewers watching movies in luxury theatres seek indulgence and multiplex theatres are pampering them. “Amenities, plush leather seating, special couple sofa seats, array of menus to choose from, on call concierge service, parking assistance, ambience and projection as well as sound technology are some of the key features that differentiate CX (customer experience) today,” says Chandrashekar Mantha, partner, media & entertainment sector leader, Deloitte India. “The nature of the viewing experience has also taken a quantum leap with formats like drive in, roof top theatres, beach side or in bar viewing and amphitheatres.”

PVR INOX, the multiplex theatre chain, recently launched a standalone IMAX Screen theatre in Priya Cinema, the company’s property in south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar. “We are extremely pleased to upgrade our first and most iconic cinema, PVR Priya, into a modern day representation of a truly immersive cinematic experience like IMAX,” says Ajay Bijli, managing director, PVR INOX. “In India, there is a customer for Rs 100 as well as for Rs 1,500 and we have horses for courses and we cover them all. For every segment in the market, we try to provide an enhanced movie-watching experience.”

Satwik Lele, chief operating officer of Mukta A2 Cinemas, which has 31 properties with 59 screens in India, says movie tickets should not be considered expensive because theatres offer a range.

“The experience (of watching movies) you get stepping out of your home is going to be unparalleled. At home, one is watching the movie on a small screen, and you have a particular sound system, which is not up to that quality,” he says.

"I really wonder why people say that movie-going has become a very expensive affair. I feel it is not; it (watching movies) will depend on what kind of a format you are going for – if you are going for an IMAX or a screen which only has recliners or whether it's just a normal regular screen. The pricing will vary,” he says.

Premium movie theatres get better occupancy, ticket price notwithstanding. “The average ticket prices across premium categories can vary between 2x to over 10x from the base ticket pricing tier. Gross box office collections in 2023 (YTD) has been at over Rs 6,200 crore contributed by 119 movies. We see a healthy uptick in the movie-going trend and may continue to be so with some marquee releases yet to come,” says Deloitte’s Mantha.

Amit Sharma, who is 27 and works in Bengaluru as an information technology professional, says the movies he watches in luxury theatres must be of his taste. “Not every movie is worth the time and money spent on watching it on the big screen. I only opt for my kind of movies for multiplexes and take into consideration factors like which actor is starring in the film. Even scriptwriters matter. I always read about movie plots and reviews in advance.”

An average mainstream ticket costs Rs 250 at PVR theatres in Delhi. Tickets at other PVR formats cost more: Insignia for Rs 1,100-1,200 per person, Director’s Cut between Rs 900 and Rs 2,000, Imax for Rs 600.

Pick a seat in a theatre that lines you up with the centre of the screen and pick a snack from the wide menu that theatres now offer: pizzas, sushi and biryani. Even the humble popcorn costs between Rs 390 and Rs 550 at multiplexes. “Popcorn is a very cinema snack. Over the years, the profit margins coming from popcorn have increased and so has consumption,” says Chirag Gupta, founder of 4700BC, a gourmet snacks company.

“I believe that in the phase of OTT platforms also, multiplexes are here to stay. The experience you get by watching a film at the multiplex is something everybody wants to enjoy,” says Madhu Chopra, founder of Purple Pebble Pictures, a film production company.

"Not everyone has a home theatre at their places to enjoy OTT [streaming services]. While watching films on a mobile you don’t appreciate the production value, the grandeur, the sound of the music, or the dialogues. I think movie theatres are here to stay, and there will be more films coming to the theatres," she says.

Movie ticket prices at various PVR theatres

Type of auditorium	Price range (in Rs)
Director’s Cut	900-2,000
Insignia	1,100-1,200
Imax	600
Screen x and n4dx	400-500
Kiddles and Playhouse	350
Regular ticket price	250

 
Source: PVR