‘People love going out and watching movies, it’s still a great social outing’
As he celebrates 20 years of running PVR Ltd, India’s largest movie theatre chain that operates 569 screens across 123 locations in 48 cities, chairman and MD Ajay Bijli’s motto remains the same: the customer must never feel shortchanged by the theatre operator. In an interview, the poster boy of the multiplex revolution in Indian cinema talks about why movie theatres in the country should survive the advent of digital platforms. Edited excerpts: I was running a singlescreen theatre, Priya, and I could sense the volatility — without blockbusters, which you anyway couldn’t have all 52 weeks, the cinema used to run empty. Multiplexes were prevalent globally and there were 4-5 films getting released every week. I was very keen that we should be able to give people the choice of all the movies that get released one week with good sound, projection and hospitality under one roof. Aamir and Shah Rukh Khanstarrers that release in 4,000 screens. English movies now do much better and penetrate into smaller towns by getting dubbed. The big change is now there is real estate available to build world-class multiplexes. Tax rules are a very big disappointment for me, nowhere across the world do cinema tickets get as heavily taxed as in India. We’re waiting for GST; if it comes in at a palatable rate, it’ll be a big change. I have no idea where that is coming from. I thought this Warburg Pincus deal would at least put those rumours to rest. (In January this year, private equity firm Warburg Pincus bought a 14% stake in PVR for ₹820 crore). Actually, footfalls have not been declining. Theatres still represent 60-65% of revenues. Cinemas still have exclusivity for at least two to three months, depending on how big the movie is. Secondly, people love going out and watching movies, it’s still a great social outing.