No-frill at the movies

PVR plans no-frill multiplexes in smaller towns under a separate brand.

No-frill is the flavour of the season as airlines to hotel companies try to net the fortune to be made among lower-budget consumers.

The latest to join the bandwagon is multiplex company PVR which is planning no-frill multiplexes in towns like Ranchi, Latur, Aurangabad and Vijaywada, though under a separate brand.

Ticket charges would be limited (Rs 40-60), and so would the facilities at these theatres. Granite flooring, plush seating arrangements, ornamental lighting and exhibits typically associated with PVR will be missing in the multiplexes in these towns.

"How else can one build and run a multiplex at half the cost of a regular one (Rs 2.5 crore approximately)?" asks Malhotra.

"We also cut our maintenance, operational and manpower costs so as to lower ticket prices and yet provide a multiplex experience to the cinema-loving crowds," he adds, stressing that there is a "no compromise" policy on the sound and projection system.

The no-frill foray may seem like an unusual step for PVR which pioneered the multiplex concept and brought about a paradigm shift in India's cinema viewing experience with its high class seating, state of the art screens and audiovisual systems. But according to PVR executives, "it was the only logical and sustainable step for B and C cities."

PVR, with its recently opened multiplexes in Mumbai, Indore and Lucknow, has 62 screens operational across the country. It plans to add another 200 screens soon and has earmarked Rs 300 crore for that purpose.