PVR JMD says OTT no threat, can coexist | Economic Times

Three years after it was shut for renovation, PVR Priya in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar market has come back to life. Now resurrected, the iconic movie theatre, with a seating capacity of 316, sports a typically PVR black-and-gold shiny decor. Legacy screens with snippets from cults, classics and contemporary films stand tall at the entrance of the auditorium that still remains a single-screen theatre. At a time when the cinema industry is staring at a somewhat uncertain future globally — accelerated by the onset of the Delta variant of the coronavirus and the growing influence of OTT platforms — PVR has decided to go big and bold, re-launching its second “family-owned cinema” (the first theatre the group owned was at the Anupam complex in Saket) in this tony south Delhi colony. Nostalgia, ReloadedAt the re-launch, delayed due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns and subsequent labour issues, Sanjeev Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd, proudly lists all the high-tech and cool effects that have gone into the overhaul of the two-decade-old theatre, while recalling the nostalgia quotient attached to it. “Priya, being a family cinema, got ignored for many years. When we finally zeroed in on the right plan, we decided to do a larger single screen -- 320 seats, 9 metres in height and 19 metres in length with a proprietary PXL format powered by the high-end CGS technology,” he explains.Nostalgia may be a compelling reason, but will it be enough to induce people to return to the cinemas? With many states still to open theatres -- there’s a no-show in Maharashtra and Kerala -- Bijli agrees that “it is not an easy task to get the consumer back”So what gives him the confidence for an overhaul and re-launch? 85919200“Well, some consumers are used to being at home and some are dying to get out. The advantage of our country lies in numbers — the sheer volume of people and everyone has different perspectives, varied entertainment consumption patterns,” he says optimistically, while emphasising that PVR has upped the ante on following Covid protocols and has enhanced the customer experience with more F&B options, promotions on prices and offers. Still A Communal Affair?In a country where going to the cinema is still considered a communal form of entertainment with friends and family, social distancing has been a bit of a dampener. Consequently, over the longish lockdown periods, many who were locked in at homes have now discovered and endeared themselves to OTT. So in a post-Covid, socially distanced world, how does PVR stack up? Bijli is quick to rubbish the doomsday-type predictions for the industry. These have cropped up with every disruption in every generation -- the TV killing the cinema, followed by VHS, cable, and now OTT. 85919295 “The (cinema) industry is over a 100 years old, and we have always coexisted with other disruptors — from colour TVs, VHS, CDs, computers, satellite TV and now OTT. Water always finds its own level. Of course, some formats become obsolete. But out-of-home entertainment remains an experience that you can’t duplicate at home,” Bijli says, adding that he gave up watching ‘Gunjan Saxena’ after 20 minutes on a streaming platform.‘Coexistence, Not Competition’Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Ltd, goes a step further to say “an outing to PVR is a wholesome out-of-home (OOH) entertainment experience”. “We do not see OTT as competition because people don’t come to cinemas just to watch a film. They are here to bond with their loved ones, and feel the experience. A film show at the cinema is a shared experience about coming together, it is social bonding that we all humans are wired for,” he says. 85919231Calling it “a three-hour holiday” in the OOH entertainment space, Dutta goes on to say that the only competition for PVR is 5-star hotels, for the wholesome experience they provide. “From the way our staff is groomed to the way the theatre interiors are done and the food options and the way customers are served, our aim is to replicate the luxurious experience that is available at hotels,” he says. The Show Must Go On!Bijli reiterates that it is “business as usual now.” “We are in a revival mode and as part of our strategy, we want to open as many cinemas as we can in the run-up to Diwali, when big films like ‘Sooryavanshi’ are released,” he says.By the end of March, the cinema chain is looking at adding 20-25 screens, including one in Jamnagar and a drive-in screen in Mumbai’s BKC. With Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bell Bottom’ managing “a 45 per cent occupancy mark”, things seem to be looking up for the movie moghuls in India. Dutta says the film’s overall collection clearly denotes that the “consumers are feeling a lot more safe and confident of visiting a PVR as against any other place(s).” 85919248“I think it augurs very well that the very first film to be released this year has got decent footfalls, and we believe with ‘Chehre’ and other films lined up, we should be able to get a huge part of our audience back in the next 4-6 weeks,” he adds. It remains to be seen if an unchanged pricing strategy for tickets, the F&B offerings and a host of special offers for consumers will help make it a housefull affair any time soon.