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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Your movie snack order has a genre bias
Your movie snack order has a genre bias At a late-night screening of Mission Impossible last month, there was a long queue for F&B for the 11 pm show. Those in the cinema business say that's the thing about certain genres - they come with higher F&B orders. As per the Multiplex Association of India, this summer saw 80-90% occupancy at cinemas, which also meant much higher F&B sales. But here's what F&B experts at movies notice after observing binge-eating at movies- Moviegoers don't eat the same during every movie and they say that cinema snack cravings indeed change with the genre. While it may not be true for everyone. But most moviegoers prefer placing long orders for a film that doesn't require intense viewing. In fact, according to a study in the US by a ticket platform - most F&B items are sold during action and family entertainment movies. Viewers and exhibitors tell us about this much less discussed behaviour of moviegoers. 'Action movies get most popcorn sold' Action movies are popcorn movies indeed. Raj Bansal, veteran exhibitor and cinema business analyst says,'Action films, comedy films and family entertainment or Hollywood films like Marvel or superhero genre movies are among the films which get most F&B orders as it is also about the ritual of popcorn and food with the movie that people follow.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Various Pricing Options for Hospital Equipment in Belgium (Learn More) Hospital Equipment | Search ads Undo Shreyansh Sharma, a moviegoer in his 20s shares,'Of course it is about the ritual and also about the the fun in watching an action movie without popcorn. We have mostly ordered a lot of food in movies like Top Gun, War, Jawan, Mission Impossible and recently F1. Without popcorn and pizza these films are indeed not as enjoyable.' 'Comedy and family movies mean the F&B orders will keep coming' At the movies, what you eat often is decided by what you're watching. Exhibitor Yogesh Raizada says,'It's no maths actually. From our F&B orders, insights from concession counters etc we know as a matter of fact that certain genres like family movies, action movies, comedy movies where either families are coming together with kids or friend groups have come to enjoy a movie together more food gets ordered and a larger variety as well. F&B sales indeed go up with good entertaining movies.' Faizal Khan, a moviegoer shares,'I watched Andaz Apna Apna during its re-release, and we had already ordered multiple times - Comedy movies indeed brings out the worst kind of eating - mindless. It's so funny because you're enjoying and ordering and eating like no one's watching - because everyone is too busy laughing. We often take unlimited popcorn refill offers only in comedy movies and at a recent rom-com (Materialist) I even got it filled thrice. ' Yogesh Raizada adds,'But it's not that romantic movies are a deterrent to F&B sale. Order could be slightly on the lower side.' 'Horror, films with gory scenes or scenes which fill one with disgust comparatively set a lower benchmark for cinema snacks' Some films indeed turn snacks into props. Ushers agree that in most horror movie shows fans prefer not to buy not only because they won't be able to finish but also because they want an immersive experience which doesn't happen with stacked trays. "There have been films where I bought something and the food remains untouched," says Kamya Singh, a moviegoer in her 30s. She shares,'I went for a show of Companion this year with a tub of popcorn and left with the same tub - When you're watching a horror movie, any sound can scare you. I had also ordered a veg wrap and every time I would open it mid-scene someone would shush me. I didn't know it was a kind of horror movie so I ordered food. If you are watching a psychological thriller and someone is eating even three rows away, that sound really makes noise in the silence. Plus people do not order during horror movies, mostly because most people can't eat during a horror movie.' Pratik Chandra, a moviegoer in his 40s shares,'We went for Bloodline show some time back and I cautioned my friend to not order because I knew that we won't be able to finish and he laughed it off and every time he would try to eat something gross will happen on screen and he would not be able to finish.' He adds,'At least with certain genres like horror and movies about grief one is ready and you know that you must not order any food because it will be a waste. But sometimes films surprise you with very disgusting is a puke sequence in the Triangle of Sadness and we had ordered chocolate ice cream post interval. The order arrived a couple of minutes before that scene and that entire sequence was like 15 minutes and after it got over we lost our appetite as well. ' "Get the latest updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
July becomes the highest-grossing box office month of 2025 in India
Superman Narsimha Metro July closed with the strongest box office this year, drawing record footfalls to theaters in the last 18 months. Exhibitors attribute the surge to a slate of steady films across languages, with Saiyaara, Superman, Jurassic Park: Rebirth, Mahavtar Narsimha, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Metro In Dino leading the charge. Exhibitors say that holdovers films in July including F1 and Sitaare Zameen Par continued to sustain momentum, and contributed to footfalls. Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR INOX Ltd., says, 'With a robust pipeline of films across Hindi, Hollywood, and Regional cinema, we expect FY'26 to be a strong year for the exhibition business.' Raj Bansal, veteran cinema business analyst and exhibitor, said, 'July was outstanding, with plenty of surprises. Saiyaara played a big role in bringing younger audiences, and Hollywood films performed better than expected.' Highlights -Films that released in July 2025 grossed 1,430 cr at the domestic box office -The cumulative box office for Jan-Jul releases in 2025 stands at Rs 7,175 Cr, which is 22% higher compared to the same period in 2024 -The year has a good chance of grossing more than 12,000 Cr, and is in the running to become the best-ever year at the Indian box office - a record currently held by 2023, at 12,226 Cr -Saiyaara emerged as the top film of the month, grossing Rs 392 Cr, followed by Mahavatar Narsimha, at Rs 259 cr - The highest grossing Hollywood titles of July were- Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps Source: Ormax report Language share of Box office Jan-July Language share Hindi -40% Telugu-19% Tamil-15% Hollywood-12% Malayalam -8% Others 6% -Ormax report Saiyaara was the biggest hit of July "Get the latest updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Aisle, corner or centre: Which is the best seat to grab in a theatre?
Do you have a go-to seat at the movies? Maybe the centre for the perfect view, or the aisle for a quick exit. Maybe you want a quiet corner, away from distractions. Or maybe you just grab whatever's left – especially if you're with friends and want to sit together. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now You may not think of yourself as picky, but a consumer study insights say otherwise. The study says that moviegoers go for the same kind of seats they've been choosing for years without realising it. So, where's the best seat in the theatre? Depends on who you ask. We look at what industry insiders say. Seat selection is far from uniform, depends on personality: Study Recently, a ticketing platform dug into audience's seat preferences. Using years of data, they launched a campaign showing just how varied and personal seat selection really is. What they found was less about trends but more about personality, and far from uniform. The study revealed, 'Some moviegoers prefer aisle seats for easy movement, while others opt for corners to minimise distractions. While front-row seats might be overlooked in one auditorium, they could be highly sought-after in another where plush recliners offer premium comfort.' Brian Bonnick, chief technical officer for IMAX, shared in an interview that although the IMAX system is designed to minimise variation from seat to seat, he still prefers a seat 'about two-thirds of the way from the screen, right in the middle' Are the last few rows the best? Some moviegoers are very particular about where they sit – what's the point of watching a film, they ask, if you're not picking your favourite seat? Raj Bansal, veteran exhibitor and cinema business analyst, says seat selection has evolved with technology. 'Where you sit in a cinema hall has changed,' he explains, 'Earlier, people would gravitate toward seats closer to the loudspeakers for better sound. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now That's no longer an issue. Most auditoriums now have excellent audio across the board. The last two or three rows are still the most preferred, especially when gifting tickets.' Filmmakers and tech experts around the world might not always agree on the best seat in a cinema, but there's a general consensus that the second or third row from the back, smack in the middle, tends to be the sweet spot. During a screening of Raazi in Delhi, filmmaker Meghna Gulzar declared, 'Always the second-to-last row. Never the last.' The middle seats in rows at 2/3rd the distance between the screen and the last row are considered the best A case for the front row Bhuvan, a moviegoer explains, 'The whole point of going to the movies is to immerse yourself in another world. When I watch something on TV, there's no one between me and the screen – and it's the same with a phone or tablet. But in a cinema hall, if I end up in the back rows, I'm constantly distracted by blinking phone screens. That's why I've come to love the front rows. The trick is to pick auditoriums with recliners or screens where there's enough distance between the front row and the screen itself. I really think everyone should try it at least once – it's a surprisingly immersive experience.' How to pick the best seat in the cinema Avoid corner seats for imbalanced audio experience The farthest seat from the screen ensures comfort for the posture, the eyes, and the neck Experts recommend farthest seats from the screen – maybe second or third row from the back and in middle for best experience Middle of theatre is Nolan's favourite Middle of theatre is Nolan's favourite Christopher Nolan once revealed his secret for picking the best seat in a cinema hall during the release of Oppenheimer. 'When I'm in a theatre that's Cinemascope ratio, I like to be right near the front, middle of the third row. When I'm in a stadium, IMAX 1.43:1, then I actually like to be a little behind the centerline, right in the middle. So, a little further back.' While Nolan said that seat choice is personal, experts tend to agree.
