One of the biggest developments that took place last year was the merger between two multiplex chains – PVR and Inox. The theatrical business also went on an upswing, which was much needed for the industry that suffered from 2020 to 2022 due to the pandemic. At the same time, the rise of OTT platforms and films skipping a theatrical release was seen as a disrupting factor for the exhibition sector. Meanwhile, the sky-high ticket prices also got talked about. Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR Inox, talked about these aspects recently.
PVR Inox MD Ajay Bijli says, “Our ticket prices are already low”: “In 85% of our cinemas, the average ticket price is Rs. 260”
During a conversation with The New Indian, Ajay Bijli said, “During the Covid period, the decibel levels around OTT platforms and their significance became very, very high because cinemas were shut for 18 to 24 months. But if you look at a normalized situation, TV shows and movies, commissioned by the platforms, get consumed primarily on OTT. Typically, a movie’s journey is a theatrical run for eight weeks and then it comes on streaming. As a result, it’s not an ‘either-or’ situation. You see a film in a cinema hall and then it comes to the OTT platform.” He also remarked, “Consumers in India have a major FOMO. If they know that Dunki and 12th Fail are good, they are not going to wait for 8 weeks for it to come on a digital platform.”
When asked how he feels when a star kid like Suhana Khan debuts with a Netflix film, The Archies, he replied, “There are so many people out there making movies that 1 or 2 decide to make a film for the small screen, it’s okay. I am 100% sure that they will come on the big screen. Suhana and Shah Rukh are making a superhero film. I just read somewhere. That’s going to come on the big screen.”
He also stated, “The film fraternity is making most of the platforms that are available to them. The economic rationale behind coming on the big screen is not lost on anybody. A movie like Kantara, which was made at Rs. 20 crores, did Rs. 300 crores (in cinemas). 12th Fail will end up doing Rs. 85 crores. This, they cannot get on OTT.”
As for the price points, Ajay Bijli clarified that “our prices are already low.” He explained, “Only 12-13% of our cinemas are premium or luxury properties. In 85% of our cinemas, the average ticket price (ATP) is Rs. 260. In fact, if I put aside theatres charging Rs. 1500, then the ATP comes even further down to Rs. 220. So, I am very cognizant of the fact that to get 200 million people, I have to make my price point very accessible and affordable.”
He continued, “At the same time, the positioning of the company will always be aspirational. So, a ticket costing Rs. 1500 or an outing of Rs. 10,000 is addressing that consumer who has got a home theatre as big as this (points to the screen where the interview is taking place) in his house and is used to luxury. I want that consumer also to get out of his house. But there’s another customer, who’s very value-conscious…who wants good sound, projection system and seating but doesn’t want to pay more than 200 bucks. For him, we have the Rs. 99 F&B offer, ticket price at Rs. 150 and the PVR Passport (offer).”
Ajay Bijli, in this interview, also spoke about his rendition of ‘Ik Onkar’, which even got featured in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki.
Also Read: MD of PVR Inox – Ajay Bijli turns singer for Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki – Detailed Report
More Pages: 12th Fail Box Office Collection , 12th Fail Movie Review
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