Multiplex chains have stepped up their focus on offering “private screenings” to woo movie buffs with a promise of a more personalised experience amidst the pandemic. From couples celebrating their wedding anniversary to fan clubs wanting to catch up on their favourite stars’ movies, multiplex players said the initial response for private screening has been encouraging.

 

The private screenings are being offered at attractive price points and come at a time when the multiplex industry is awaiting the release of fresh content at the box office to get footfalls back on track.

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According to Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Pictures, “Private screening as a concept has been introduced to offer our guests the option of experiencing the magic of cinema on the big screen with unparalleled visual and sound quality, exclusively with their friends and families, while keeping safety at the forefront. We rolled this out about two weeks ago and so far we have done about 240 private screenings. There is a growing word-of-mouth endorsement for the private screening shows and we are seeing a positive response and expect to witness a further uptick in bookings for such shows.”

PVR is offering private screening at select properties, starting at about ₹1,999 and going up to ₹5,000 at the Gold Class. The company has also tied up with banking partners and other corporates which are doing private screenings with curated content for their loyal consumers.

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Saurabh Varma, Chief Marketing Officer, Inox Leisure, said, “Private screenings allow us to offer our guests highly personalised and exclusive experiences, at a date and time of their choice, co-audiences and content of their choice, at an attractive price point. From couples and families to fan clubs and corporates, we are seeing a positive response for private screening from consumers. Just in the last three days, we have received about 260 enquiries.” The company said consumers can book an auditorium for private screening for about ₹2,999.

Varma said cinemas have proven to be stress-busters for a long time for consumers and will continue to provide them with a mental escape in the post-pandemic world.

PV Sunil, MD, Carnival Cinemas, said that the strategy behind encouraging private screenings at discounted prices is also to enable confidence-building among consumers so that they can drop in and experience the enhanced safety protocols being adopted by the exhibition industry.

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