Indian Theatres and Bollywood
Background
India, as we all know is known for its different art and cultures. In the arts field, comes, India’s film industry, popularly known as Bollywood. Bollywood is the world’s second-largest film industry in terms of revenue and the number of production houses involved. Indian theatres and Bollywood go hand in hand which means it has become generic for the world to call Bollywood the Indian film industry.
Major production houses include:
1. Dharma Productions
2. Yash Raj Films
3. Red Chillies Entertainment, etc.
Cinema and theatre are the purest form of entertainment for the Indian demographics, which means it is one place, where the industry has put in a lot of effort and money to make the cinematic experience reach new levels which even developed countries like the USA have failed to do so.
Types of offerings
There are two types of theatres in India.
1. Single Screen Theatres; and
2. Multi-Screen Theatres (Multiplexes)
Segregation
India majorly is a price-sensitive market even for moviegoers.
Having said that, single-screen theatres are often found in regional districts and cities where the population does not explode (like in metro cities), whereas Multi-screen theatres are found in metro cities, like Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, etc. because of the number of films increasing and population growth rising.
Films Showcased
Single Screen Cinema only includes Bollywood and regional films in the respective languages.
Multiplexes launch films from all over the world like China, the USA, Europe, etc. since the metro consumer behavior suggests there are many people who like to watch international films.
Prices
Prices of the tickets in India are based on the time of the show and the location of the cinema.
Location: For example, a posh area (town) of a locality will have almost 1.5x the price of a suburban area.
Time: For example, a show in the morning, called matinee show, is often at a subsidized rate than the show in the evening (It is the same concept as the “surge pricing”) where weekends are expensive than weekdays.
Major Players
Major players in the cinema are:
1. For Single Screen:
a. Movie Time;
b. Galaxy Theatres; and
c. Chandan Talkies.
2. For Multiplexes:
a. PVR Cinemas;
b. INOX Theatres and Entertainment Ltd;
c. Cineplex Theatres.
Business
The cinemas in India are expected to generate 2x more revenue in the upcoming year 2020 than the previous year.
There has been an increase in the funding levels and many producers find it interesting in funding short films and documentaries today.
The biggest trend observed today are filmmakers taking stories from real life-based events in the history of India.
Luxury
Multiplexes situated in metro cities have seen a trend of making it a more luxurious experience right from offering in-seat food ordering to having a full buffet all you can eat menus at select theatres where prices are 5x the general ticket.
There are theatres like INOX who even offer 270-degree screens to showcase the highest level of cinematic experience. It also includes,
1. Dolby Atmos
2. IMAX Screen
3. 4D experience cinemas.
Indian theatres and Bollywood are like none other, and by far the best looking and feeling theatres and industry in the world in my opinion.