Ajay Bijli Exclusive Podcast w/ Vanita Kohli Khandekar | PVR INOX | Beyond The Box Office

In this exclusive podcast with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, Ajay Bijli (Managing Director - PVR INOX) talk about all things multiplexes. They delve deep into how PVR INOX manages to stay afloat during the months where cinema content lessens, and how their average ticket pricing affects scale. Mr. Bijli talks about the extremely successful year that 2023 was, and what he expects from the rest of 2024. He discusses the impact The General Elections, and the ICC Cricket World Cup have had on the film business of the country, and his thoughts on the screen count of the subcontinent.

#AjayBilji #PVRINOX

00:00 - Beyond The Box Office with Ajay Bijli (M.D. - PVR INOX)
02:00 - PVR’s journey and where they are right now
07:02 - How badly under-screened is India as a market?
14:25 - The explanation of multiplexes, and how is the South Market different?
16:41 - Domestic crossovers and films working beyond their core market
19:24 - Do small film successes impact business well?
23:45 - The 8 week streaming window
32:45 - F&B pricing for PVR INOX
34:06 - Getting impacted by the big OTT players
41:08 - Theatrical to streaming and the interdependency
41:38 - Supporting Indie films

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The Film Companion is a web channel intended to promote Indian cinema through films review, interviews, discussions, video essays, and analytical compilations. It is intended primarily for the purpose of encouraging informed discussions, criticism, and review of cinema and towards such purpose, the programs use short extracts of cinematograph films, sound recording, and photographic works. These clips and extracts are of a minimal nature and the use is not intended to interfere in any manner with their commercial exploitation of the complete work by the owners of the copyright. The use of works is in compliance with the fair dealing exception provided under Sec. 52 of the Copyright Act, and we assert our use of the works under the exception provided for criticism and review.

[vedantpillay]

I want Mr bijli to have a public petition for some films as I belong to Raipur many films have audience but unfortunately doesn't get a release

[amanissar]

Thanks for this. Keep the series coming.

[tushardhingra]

If it is possible we should avoid as an Industry to put Streamers Logos on theatrical Publicity like Posters, Song Promos and trailers.
It is one of the biggest disservices to Theatrical business!

[hiteshk]

I recently went to watch a movie in PVR Inox and One popcorn and 2 cold drinks cost almost 999/- . My daughter refused to eat there after listening the price.
They need to understand that firstly they are not running a Lounge or Bar where the food will be super expensive. 2ndly People come to theater with their families. They have already spent money on the tickets (self, spouse, kids, parents. Meaning 5-6 tickets). NOW, you are charging 1000/- extra JUST FOR one popcorn and cold drinks. Now we prefer to go to a smaller cinema where the food is at very reasonable price.

[ieatroti]

Increase the theatrical window to 90 days
Atleast weekdays ticket prices should be under 100.

[manojgemm]

Nowadays seeing a movie with family is more expensive then going for family diinner or single day picnic, plus 80-90 % movies can easily be watch at home at OTT after 30days

[krunal_]

I'm loving this series! Thank you so much :)

[Bhawsheel]

Thankyou FC for such an insightful conversation. Lots to learn and understand about the movie distribution business.

[Manishsharmaseven]

He's so clear and fundamentally correct on people's changing habit. I myself was an avid movies goer. Almost, every weekend I used to watch late night show. But, now post covid I simply don't want to go outside, but sit home to consume content and watch ott once I feel watching a movie. Going to Theatre for 3 hrs with extra spend on snacking is simply expensive affair for me. I can wait for 8 weeks for movie to come on ott. I no longer get excited about upcoming movies that once was pre covid. Family of 4 imagine the overall cost per movie is around 4k is way high. 999/- per head for weekend. Also, you need to spend on fuel or transport to reach to near theatre. The landing cost is arounf 5k

[actingsutra]

I have said it to so many people. PVR has single handedly destroyed the film industry by making quick buck for itself and some people. Apart from their floor tiles, everything is below average. They have a monopoly so it’s going to take some time to be replaced but as a lover of cinema I sincerely hope that they exit the business. They blame it on the rent of their theatre but they are thinking they are a tech startup and want that kind of revenue. They have destroyed the experience, increased prices to stupid amount and refuse to uplift the industry 😢

[amusingwordplay]

My advice/request: Please stop these bank/credit card, etc., agents from swamping the theatre premises immediately. They're annoying, no matter how polite they are & we don't go to the theatres to buy those services. I know it's another revenue stream for you but you might start loosing out on potential customers over the weekends, who dislike people barging in on them while they're waiting in the lounge for their movie to start.

[RajeevDani]

Amazing interview for cinephiles like me :)

[prodoshmukherjee]

They run ads for 20 min before starting the movie and interval for 10 min, imagine watching kalki which is already 3hr movie and pvr will make it a 3 hr 30/40 min affair and then their food and beverage prices which is rocket high so a middle class won't even buys it so for watching a kalki movie in pvr means 3 hr 30 40 min of starving experience, now imagine if the movie ends up boring 😂😂

[ishasingh]

Audiences neither want to pay for a movie ticket, nor want to pay for OTT properly (by having one ott login purchased for sharing with 10 friends n family), want to stream (esp smaller-budget) films for free on Telegram and also want to throng the theatres for Srk-Salman movies only and not for actual good movies... and still say that as a 'cinema lover' they are cheated. If you dont like PVR then go to single screens like Mirage atleast n grow their business so that they can expand.

[raaz]

Next, bring some Distributor, Ott producers, showrunners

[karanmally]

Great PR interview- you can blame the audience and blame the content. But the truth is PVR has single handed spoilt the entire movie going experience of an entire country, which was a movie crazy country. Yes you give great ambience and atmosphere, but the pricing cannot be this high. Also, pop corn and Pepsi is a part of that experience. The offers of 99 for pop corn and the passport offer are all valid for day shows before 6pm. The major crowd goes after 6. And you are over pricing it there. So people now have to make a choice. Instead of watching a movie and then deciding if it’s good, they go by word of mouth for most movies.and chose which movie they can afford. There were bad movies earlier too but people went out to theatres a lot as we loved to. On the other hand if you reduced your prices for pop corn and Pepsi and tickets for evening and night shows of you regular screens, not your extra luxe ones, the movie going habit would return over a period of time. They won’t wait for it to come on ott. But that won’t make sense to PVR as a restaurant business. And the supporting indie film is just a sham. You give them morning shows in distant theatres. I understand you are a business, but there’s a way to do business without killing your consumer. Make the consumer happy and your business will thrive.

[swarnayanchakraborty]

Movies in theatres these days is a rich people’s hobby. OTT is a far better option unless your kid wants to watch something in the theatre. What he says here completely contradicts the ground reality of what PVR does.

[souravdutta]

Movie theatrical release and OTT release should be 12 weeks - 16 weeks immediately
Producers should try to make film theatrical hit.

[somitgope]

Production houses need to be considered which film is meant to be released in theatre. Actors should lower their fees drastically.

[shivkrishna]

PVR have the worst screen and sound quality among all theatres. It has single handedly ruined many of my theatre going experiences. I badly want this company to fail.