Mumbai: India’s film exhibition sector is steadily recovering from the disruptions wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by higher footfall, increasing ticket prices and a robust content pipeline, said Ajay Bijli, managing director of PVR Inox, the country’s largest multiplex chain.
“The momentum is back. The challenges that once kept audiences away are behind us. The Hollywood strike is over, and even big-budget films are now attracting audiences. The content lineup looks very good,” he told ET.
Looking ahead, the content slate for the rest of 2025-26 is strong, with War 2, Baaghi 4, The Bengal Files, Kantara, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Jolly LLB 3, he said.
Bijli expects footfall to be far better than last year, though he stopped short of predicting a return to the pre-pandemic levels.
PVR Inox accounts for an estimated 30% of the domestic industry’s box-office revenue.
According to Ormax, India’s cinemas recorded customer footfall of 883 million in 2024, down 6% from that in 2023 and below 1.03 billion in 2019.
