Latest news with #Bijli
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Real challenge facing the multiplexes industry today isn't pricing, but time: PVR Inox's Sanjeev Bijli
The real challenge facing the multiplex industry today isn't pricing, but time, said Sanjeev Bijli, Executive Director of PVR Inox . With a growing number of entertainment options competing for consumer attention, from streaming platforms to mobile content, audiences are more selective about where and how they spend their leisure hours. For multiplex operators, the competition is no longer just about ticket sales but about capturing a share of limited time in an increasingly crowded media landscape . Bijli sees this shift as central to how the company is evolving. As India's largest cinema chain with 1700 screens gears up to open 100 new screens in FY26, including a significant push in South India, Bijli outlines a strategy focused on regional expansion, experience-led engagement, and adapting to changing consumption patterns. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. "The real challenge isn't pricing, it's time. Today, consumers have more entertainment options than ever. We're competing not just for their money, but for their time," said Bijli. On the perception that high ticket prices deter moviegoers, Bijli responded, 'This argument comes up often, but I don't think pricing is a deterrent. Our average ticket price is around Rs 250 to 260, which is very reasonable for the experience we offer. Compared to global pricing, $10 or more in the US, we're very affordable at around $3.' 'If price were a real issue, films like Chhaava, Mission: Impossible, Avatar, Pushpa, and Kalki 2898 AD wouldn't become blockbusters. People wouldn't turn up and make these Rs 500 to 600 crore hits. It's all about content. If the content resonates, as it did with Stree 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Singham, and others, audiences will come regardless of price.' For FY26, PVR INOX is planning a total investment of around Rs 300 crore. 'Our capex on new properties this year will be just over Rs 200 crore, with an additional Rs 100 crore allocated for renovations and investments in IT and technology. Continuous upgrades are essential for operating a large national circuit like ours,' Bijli said. Of the 100 new screens planned for FY26, 40% will be in South India, particularly Hyderabad and Bangalore, as the region continues to drive significant growth for PVR INOX. 'We're opening a four-screen cinema at SMR Vinay Mall in Hyderabad, taking our total to 24 screens opened this year,' said Bijli. 'We're on track to meet our target of adding 100 screens in FY26. Of these, 40 will be in South India, particularly Hyderabad and Bangalore, which accounts for about 40% of our total expansion. So, the South continues to contribute significantly to our growth.' Explaining the momentum in the southern market, he said, 'The South is rapidly catching up in terms of mall development. Earlier, regions like the North and West, Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune were ahead, and the South was a few years behind. But now, the South has caught up.' 'Developers like Inorbit, Prestige, and Lake Shore, who've been long-standing partners of ours, are building high-quality malls, and we're their preferred cinema partner. These strong relationships and the pace of development are driving our expansion in the region.' On whether this aggressive expansion risks skewing the balance between screen count and revenue contribution, Bijli said that is already the case. "Currently, South India contributes about 40% of our screen count. And it's not just a skew in screens, revenues are also higher in the South than in any other region.' 'So, it makes sense to continue expanding there, not indiscriminately, but in specific catchments where there's demand. These are the markets we're focusing on, not just in the South, but across the country. That said, the South remains a priority because of strong developments, untapped markets, and a consistent appetite for cinema.' Contrary to the perception that Hindi-speaking markets are lagging, Bijli offered a more optimistic view. 'We've had a good first quarter (Q1 FY26). Films like Sitaare Zameen Par and Raid 2 in May performed very well. Housefull 5 also delivered strong numbers. Even Maa, the horror film starring Kajol, has done well. Bhool Chuk Maaf performed strongly toward the end of May. So, we've seen solid success in the Hindi belt too.' Looking at year-on-year trends, Bijli said, 'We've done better. About 33.5 million people visited our cinemas in Q1 this year, compared to 30 million last year. That's a healthy increase of around 10 to 11%.' He emphasised that a quality experience is central to drawing audiences. 'For us, everything starts with the product. If the product is strong, people will come. That means ensuring excellent sound, projection, technology, and seat comfort. Then comes food and beverage quality, customer service, air conditioning, all of which contribute to a smooth, pleasant experience. If guests spend three hours with us, we want it to be completely frictionless and enjoyable, so they want to return.' To supplement this, PVR INOX has stepped up marketing efforts. 'Our Blockbuster Tuesday offer, Rs 99 tickets, has doubled Tuesday admissions from 2 lakh to 4.5 lakh. We have app download offers with Rs 100 discounts, bottomless F&B refills on Fridays, and more. These are just a few examples of the creative campaigns our marketing team rolls out to drive footfalls.' With half of its new screens to be developed under the FOCO model , Bijli sees this as a strategic adaptation. 'About 50% of them will follow the FOCO model. We're fortunate to have developer partners who believe in our brand and are excited to work with us under this structure.' He dismissed the idea that this shift signals the decline of the traditional multiplex model. 'I don't agree. While there has been some change in consumer behaviour, it's not a paradigm shift. In FY25, we had 130 million visitors to our cinemas, a number that clearly shows people are still coming out for the big screen experience.' 'Yes, there's been a slight dip, maybe 10%, and we're adapting to that. One way is by exploring models like FOCO, where we share capital expenditure with developers.' Highlighting the role of multiplexes in driving traffic to malls, he added, 'Multiplexes are often located on the top floors of malls and act as major footfall drivers. When a big film releases, like Chhaava or Sitaare Zameen Par, the entire mall benefits. Restaurants, cafes, and retail all see a bump.' 'Developers recognise this value, which is why many are willing to contribute to the multiplex CapEx. It's not a new concept. This model has been widely used in the West for years. Even in India, brands like McDonald's have followed this approach, often relying on developer-funded CapEx. We're simply applying similar principles to adapt to the evolving market.'
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Business Standard
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
PVR INOX plans to add 200 screens in 2 yrs: ED Sanjeev Kumar Bijli
The company's expansion plans will majorly focus on South India, followed by smaller cities and towns in the next two years Press Trust of India New Delhi Cinema exhibitor PVR INOX plans to add around 200 screens in two years at an investment of up to Rs 400 crore, its Executive Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said on Wednesday. The company's expansion plans will majorly focus on South India, followed by smaller cities and towns in the next two years, Bijli told PTI in an interview. "This financial year, 2025-26, we have about 100 screen openings planned, and out of which we have opened about 20 already in the first quarter, and we have another 82 to go. So, basically, we are on track to open about 100 screens this year," he said when asked about the company's expansion plans. Out of the 100 screens, 40 screens are in South India, including Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Hubli. At the same time, some cinemas will come up in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurugram, and some smaller towns like Siliguri, Jabalpur, Leh and Gangtok. "It is a bit of a mixed bag, but 40 per cent of this (expansion) still remains in South India, and about 20 per cent in smaller towns," Bijli said. Even going forward, he said, "We have quite a few cinemas (lined up) for 2026-27 as well. We have 80 screens opening (planned), but we can easily get it stretched to about visibility (as of now) is of 80 screens and out of that also about 40 per cent is again in South India". When asked about the investment for the expansion, he said, "Roughly, if you look at this year, if we're opening about 100 screens, then an average screen costs about Rs 3.5 crore per screen. So, that comes to about Rs 350 crore. If we assume that 50 per cent of that is coming from a combination of FOCO (franchise owned company operated) and asset light, then our contribution would be half at about Rs 175 to 200 crore". For 200 screens that the company has planned, its investment will be around Rs 350-400 crore. Bijli said that after adding 200 screens in the next two years, PVR INOX will have "close to 2,000 screens" in total. As part of the company's expansion in South India, PVR INOX will open a four-screen property later this week in Hyderabad, which will take its total screen count in Telangana to 110. It has lined up a total of 26 new screens to be added in the state in FY26. "Telangana is a very significant market. It has always done very well for us because of the very strong content from Telangana. Telugu films are extremely loved and accepted. The propensity to watch movies there is very high," he noted. There are still pockets in Hyderabad that do not have a good multiplex. There are certain catchments which are unserviced, he said, adding that "we are excited about expanding into the city of Hyderabad, which is a growing city".
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
PVR INOX plans to add 200 screens in 2 years: ED Sanjeev Kumar Bijli
PVR INOX is set to expand its presence. The cinema exhibitor plans to add approximately 200 screens over the next two years. This expansion requires an investment of up to Rs 400 crore. The focus will be on South India and smaller cities. Hyderabad is a key market for PVR INOX. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Media/Entertainment 1. Good Game to launch global gaming reality show from India with $50 million investment Cinema exhibitor PVR INOX plans to add around 200 screens in two years at an investment of up to Rs 400 crore, its Executive Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said on company's expansion plans will majorly focus on South India, followed by smaller cities and towns in the next two years, Bijli told PTI in an interview."This financial year, 2025-26, we have about 100 screen openings planned, and out of which we have opened about 20 already in the first quarter, and we have another 82 to go. So, basically, we are on track to open about 100 screens this year," he said when asked about the company's expansion of the 100 screens, 40 screens are in South India, including Hyderabad, Bangalore and Hubli. At the same time, some cinemas will come up in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurugram, and some smaller towns like Siliguri, Jabalpur, Leh and Gangtok."It is a bit of a mixed bag, but 40 per cent of this (expansion) still remains in South India, and about 20 per cent in smaller towns," Bijli going forward, he said, "We have quite a few cinemas (lined up) for 2026-27 as well. We have 80 screens opening (planned), but we can easily get it stretched to about visibility (as of now) is of 80 screens and out of that also about 40 per cent is again in South India".When asked about the investment for the expansion, he said, "Roughly, if you look at this year, if we're opening about 100 screens, then an average screen costs about Rs 3.5 crore per screen. So, that comes to about Rs 350 crore. If we assume that 50 per cent of that is coming from a combination of FOCO (franchise owned company operated) and asset light, then our contribution would be half at about Rs 175 to 200 crore".For 200 screens that the company has planned, its investment will be around Rs 350-400 said that after adding 200 screens in the next two years, PVR INOX will have "close to 2,000 screens" in part of the company's expansion in South India, PVR INOX will open a four-screen property later this week in Hyderabad, which will take its total screen count in Telangana to 110. It has lined up a total of 26 new screens to be added in the state in FY26."Telangana is a very significant market. It has always done very well for us because of the very strong content from Telangana. Telugu films are extremely loved and accepted. The propensity to watch movies there is very high," he are still pockets in Hyderabad that do not have a good are certain catchments which are unserviced, he said, adding that "we are excited about expanding into the city of Hyderabad, which is a growing city".
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Business Standard
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
PVR INOX sees film re-releases gaining traction amid BO uncertainty
Amid uncertainty in box office (BO) collections of new films, India's largest cinema exhibitor, PVR INOX, expects the re-release of films to continue gaining momentum. 'Re-releases are definitely helping us bring people back to the cinema,' said Niharika Bijli, lead strategist, PVR INOX, in an interview with Business Standard. So far, PVR INOX has re-released 287 films post the pandemic, with the frequency of re-releases rising in 2025. In FY25, re-releases contributed 7.1 million admissions and ₹124 crore (8.5 per cent) to the company's gross box office collection. Bijli anticipates this number to grow further in FY26. She added that the multiplex chain intends to schedule more re-releases during leaner business periods. Additionally, the trend is largely being driven by audiences in metro cities. On Thursday, PVR INOX re-released the musical drama Umrao Jaan in 4K, after the film's restoration was completed by its makers in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). Bijli noted that so far, restoration initiatives for old classics have been led by filmmakers, producers, and the NFDC. 'This year, we will also see a mix of both re-releases and restorations,' she said. Speaking about upcoming restoration content, she mentioned that there are rumours about Sholay being in the pipeline. Bijli further emphasised that while this segment is still growing, the company is not entirely closed off to the idea of co-investing in the restoration of old films.
News18
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Played Cricket World Cup, Acted With Ranveer Singh. This Singer With ‘Bijli'-Like Aura Is...
Last Updated: Harrdy Sandhu played for the Punjab team as a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium paced bowler. His 'bijli' didn't just light up the music world, but it also shined on the cricket field. Yes, we are talking about Harrdy Sandhu. Most of us know him as the singing star behind popular tracks like Bijli, Naah Goriye, Soch, Backbone and many more. He has also appeared in films. But before all the fame in music and movies, Harrdy had a completely different dream – cricket. His early years were all about runs, wickets and the hope of wearing the Indian jersey one day. Cricket Journey Harrdy Sandhu's real name is Hardavinder Singh Sandhu. He began his career as a cricketer. He played for Punjab as a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler. He was also selected for the India Under-19 team in 2004–05 and came close to joining the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup squad in 2006. In a podcast called Figuring Out With Raj Shamani, Harrdy shared his cricket journey. He said the Under-19 team held a training camp in Pune while preparing for the World Cup in Sri Lanka. This camp included 30 top young players from across the country. Each player had to play three matches based on which the final team would be selected. Harrdy performed well in his first match. He took the wickets of players like Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Pinal Shah and Yo Mahesh. He believed this performance would help him get selected. But things didn't go as expected. 'We were batting on the third day, and it was my turn to bat. I asked Rahul Sharma, a former India and Punjab spinner, for a bat. Rahul was often called 'Venky.' Coincidentally, Venkatesh Prasad, who was our coach, was sitting in front of me. I called out 'Venky' to Rahul but to my surprise, Venkatesh Prasad thought I was addressing him. Perhaps he took offense to this and it might have influenced his decision to stick with the same squad that had played in the last two U-19 tournaments," Sandhu said. At the time, the selectors were Pravin Amre, Dilip Vengsarkar and one more person. Harrdy wasn't picked for the final team. In 2007, he suffered an unrecoverable injury and had to give up playing cricket. Transition From Cricket To Music After cricket, Harrdy turned to music. He trained in folk and classical singing under Sh. Nirmal Singh. His first album was This Is Harrdy Sandhu which featured modern and upbeat songs. This was followed by Horn Blow. In 2014, his song Soch which brought him a lot of fame. The Hindi version of this track was sung by Arijit Singh for the film Airlift starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur. After that, Harrdy gave several hits including Kya Baat Ay, Naah, Joker and more. Acting Career Harrdy didn't just stick to music, he made his mark in films as well. He made his acting debut in 2014 with the Punjabi film Yaaran Da Katchup where he starred with Rana Ranbir, Anita Hassanandani, Jaswinder Bhalla and others. In Bollywood, Harrdy made his debut with 83 that brought his first love, cricket, back into his life in a whole new way. Released in 2021, the movie told the story of India's iconic 1983 Cricket World Cup win. Harrdy played the role of Madan Lal, one of the key fast bowlers in the team. Ranveer Singh played Kapil Dev, the legendary captain who led India to victory. The film featured a big ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Adinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa and R. Badree. Harrdy also starred in Code Name: Tiranga, a spy action film co-starring Parineeti Chopra. It was directed by Ribhu Dasgupta. About the Author Buzz Staff A team of writers at bring you stories on what's creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. News18's viral page features trending stories, videos, and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Harrdy Sandhu viral news Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: June 21, 2025, 13:41 IST
