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PVR INOX banks on good movie releases, OTT fatigue for profitability: MD Ajay Bijli
PVR INOX banks on good movie releases, OTT fatigue for profitability: MD Ajay Bijli

Time of India

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Time of India

PVR INOX banks on good movie releases, OTT fatigue for profitability: MD Ajay Bijli

Cinema exhibitor PVR INOX is looking to build on the momentum of a strong first quarter, tapping new good movie releases and consumer fatigue with OTT as it seeks to return to profitability , according to its Managing Director Ajay Bijli . Having recorded a 12 per cent year-on-year growth in people visiting the company's cinemas at 3.4 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal, despite a subdued April, the business has bounced back, Bijli told PTI. "We are obviously very happy that business has bounced back. We've always been very confident about the fact that Indian consumers will always consider going out and watching movies on the big screen as the number one form of entertainment," he noted. Watching movies on the big screen will coexist with all the other formats of consuming content, Bijli added. Asked when the company expects to be in the black, Bijli said, "Normally, I don't give any all I can say is that the momentum is there, and all the movies that are coming up are in the public domain". July has started very well with movies, such as Saiyaara, Superman, Jurassic Park: Rebirth, F1 Fantastic Four: First Steps and Mahavtar Narsimha, he said, adding that two big movies -- Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie and War 2 , which is a strong franchise, are already lined up for August 14 release. "People already know that there's a huge August 15 the lineup at least gives us the confidence and people's behaviour to come out, (after) getting a little bit of fatigue factor from OTT -- it is giving us an indication that occupancies will only improve from here on," Bijli said without sharing guidance on the timelines for profitability. In the first quarter of 2025-26, PVR INOX reported a narrowing of consolidated loss after tax to Rs 54.5 crore, mainly due to good content movies driving up footfall and revenue growth. It had posted a consolidated loss after tax of Rs 179 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal. Its consolidated revenue from operations in the first quarter stood at Rs 1,469.1 crore compared to Rs 1,190.7 crore in the year-ago period. "What we need to do is make sure that we are delivering a great offering to the consumer when they come out, and just rely on the content makers to continue to make movies which connect with the audience," Bijli said.

'Dangal' Star Fatima Sana Shaikh's Melts Hearts With Her Pet Bijli
'Dangal' Star Fatima Sana Shaikh's Melts Hearts With Her Pet Bijli

Time of India

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Time of India

'Dangal' Star Fatima Sana Shaikh's Melts Hearts With Her Pet Bijli

/ Aug 11, 2025, 03:44PM IST Bollywood actress Fatima Sana Shaikh melted fans' hearts by revealing who she affectionately calls her 'love', her furry friend, Bijli. The 'Dangal' star posted a sweet photo and video on Instagram, kissing her pet and sharing her affection. On the work front, Fatima was recently seen in the OTT film Aap Jaisa Koi alongside R. Madhavan. Prior to that, she appeared in Metro In Dino on the big screen. Her post reminded fans of her softer, playful side beyond the silver screen.

PVR Inox banks on good movie releases, OTT fatigue for profitability: MD
PVR Inox banks on good movie releases, OTT fatigue for profitability: MD

Business Standard

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Business Standard

PVR Inox banks on good movie releases, OTT fatigue for profitability: MD

Cinema exhibitor PVR Inox is looking to build on the momentum of a strong first quarter, tapping new good movie releases and consumer fatigue with OTT as it seeks to return to profitability, according to its Managing Director Ajay Bijli. Having recorded a 12 per cent year-on-year growth in people visiting the company's cinemas at 3.4 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal, despite a subdued April, the business has bounced back, Bijli told PTI. "We are obviously very happy that business has bounced back. We've always been very confident about the fact that Indian consumers will always consider going out and watching movies on the big screen as the number one form of entertainment," he noted. Watching movies on the big screen will coexist with all the other formats of consuming content, Bijli added. Asked when the company expects to be in the black, Bijli said, "Normally, I don't give any all I can say is that the momentum is there, and all the movies that are coming up are in the public domain". July has started very well with movies, such as Saiyaara, Superman, Jurassic Park: Rebirth, F1 Fantastic Four: First Steps and Mahavtar Narsimha, he said, adding that two big movies -- Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie and War 2, which is a strong franchise, are already lined up for August 14 release. "People already know that there's a huge August 15 the lineup at least gives us the confidence and people's behaviour to come out, (after) getting a little bit of fatigue factor from OTT -- it is giving us an indication that occupancies will only improve from here on," Bijli said without sharing guidance on the timelines for profitability. In the first quarter of 2025-26, PVR Inox reported a narrowing of consolidated loss after tax to Rs 54.5 crore, mainly due to good content movies driving up footfall and revenue growth. It had posted a consolidated loss after tax of Rs 179 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal. Its consolidated revenue from operations in the first quarter stood at Rs 1,469.1 crore compared to Rs 1,190.7 crore in the year-ago period. "What we need to do is make sure that we are delivering a great offering to the consumer when they come out, and just rely on the content makers to continue to make movies which connect with the audience," Bijli said.

PVR INOX narrows losses on blockbuster Q1; Sanjeev Bijli cites strong content and value deals as key drivers
PVR INOX narrows losses on blockbuster Q1; Sanjeev Bijli cites strong content and value deals as key drivers

Time of India

time6 days ago

  • Business
  • Time of India

PVR INOX narrows losses on blockbuster Q1; Sanjeev Bijli cites strong content and value deals as key drivers

New Delhi: Cinema giant PVR INOX on Wednesday announced a significant turnaround in its financial performance, narrowing its consolidated loss after tax to Rs 54.5 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2025. This marks a substantial improvement from the Rs 179 crore loss reported in the corresponding period last fiscal. The company's consolidated revenue from operations surged to Rs 1,469.1 crore, up from Rs 1,190.7 crore in the year-ago period. According to Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX, the robust performance was the result of a multi-pronged strategy. "You know, I think it's a combination of factors. One of the important drivers is the film pipeline, and this quarter has been very strong for Hindi, English, and regional films," Bijli said in an interview with ETRetail. The return of major Hollywood tentpoles after a lull was another critical factor. "Hollywood films came back with a bang... we had Mission: Impossible, F1, Superman, and Fantastic Four all getting released in the summer. And generally, summer is a great time for us," he added. Beyond content, a conscious effort to enhance the physical movie-going experience played a key role. "We've been very, very much focusing on getting the physical product right, and along with the softer issues such as training and development, service standards, housekeeping, and security." This was complemented by aggressive marketing initiatives, most notably the "₹99 Tuesdays" deal. "We're doing about four to five lakh admissions every Tuesday now, as compared to a lakh, lakh and a half," Bijli stated. He also mentioned that affordable food and beverage promotions and premium formats like IMAX and 4DX have been crucial in reviving footfalls. The company continues to pursue a dual strategy, investing in high-margin premium formats while using value deals to rebuild the cinema habit. PVR INOX plans to add three more IMAX screens and ten more 4DX installations this year. At the same time, the successful Tuesday value offer will be a long-term strategy. "We will continue it, because the four to five-time increase in admissions more than compensates for the lower ticket price and lower spend per head," Bijli confirmed. He highlighted that the promotion is successfully bringing in new audiences and increasing the frequency of visits. "We've seen a delta of 40% new customers... We are recreating that habit of going to the cinema. It happens to most of us; you'll watch one good film, and it entices you to watch another because you've enjoyed the experience so much." The success of ten films crossing the ₹100 crore mark in a single quarter has raised hopes that the industry might be entering a more stable and dependable cycle. Bijli believes this trend is here to stay, partly attributing it to a weariness with streaming platforms. "I think there could be a bit of an OTT fatigue as well. You know, we're all social animals, and we can't be cooped up at home for long," he said. "Cinemas provide that community viewing and an opportunity to get together and meet with friends. That's what has helped us establish the concept of movie-going again and driven the admissions up." Looking ahead, the company is optimistic about its Q2 performance, banking on a strong upcoming film pipeline. After a July that Bijli described as "overwhelming," all eyes are on the long weekend in August. "We have all eyes on two films coming out on August 14, which are War 2 and Coolie. The trailers have been very well accepted. It's a long weekend, so all the ingredients are there for the films to do well. September also looks good with Baaghi, which is a very established franchise, and Jolly LLB, which is also a very established franchise... So based on the movie pipeline, I'm keeping my hopes high and my fingers crossed."

India's PVR Inox loss more than halves as 'F1', other hits draw moviegoers
India's PVR Inox loss more than halves as 'F1', other hits draw moviegoers

Time of India

time6 days ago

  • Business
  • Time of India

India's PVR Inox loss more than halves as 'F1', other hits draw moviegoers

India's PVR Inox reported a sharply narrower quarterly loss on Wednesday as a strong box office slate, including Hollywood hit ' F1: The Movie ', drew more audiences to theatres and boosted ticket and food sales. India's largest multiplex operator, formed through the merger of PVR and Inox, reported a consolidated loss of 540 million rupees ($6.2 million) in the April-June quarter, compared with a loss of 1.79 billion rupees a year earlier. Analysts, on an average, had expected a loss of 659.1 million rupees. Footfalls in cinema halls have been pressured by weak urban consumption , an uneven slate of film releases and growing competition from streaming platforms . To bring audiences back, PVR has been offering discounted weekday tickets and relaunching older movie hits. These measures, along with the strong box office performance of Bollywood and Hollywood films such as 'Sitaare Zameen Par' and 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' helped lift quarterly footfalls by 12% on-year. Average ticket prices rose 8% to 254 rupees, while per head spending on food and beverages increased 10% to a record 148 rupees. Executive Director Sanjeev Bijli told Reuters he expects spending in these segments to grow at a similar pace in the coming quarters. "I do see a visibility of great films all the way down to December, the end of third-quarter, and that's what's going to drive consumption for admissions, ticket prices, advertisement revenues and also F&B spends," Bijli said. He added that the company's new cinema halls will experiment with gaming centers, co-working spaces and cafeterias inside the premises to "enhance the stickiness of the consumer". Revenue from operations rose 23% to 14.69 billion rupees for the quarter, topping analysts' estimate of 14.24 billion rupees. The results come amid growing signs of recovery in urban consumption. Consumer goods firms such as Hindustan Unilever and Britannia are signalling improving urban demand after several quarters of sluggish growth.

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