Indian multiplex chains see best festive weekend post Covid in Diwali 2024

Indian multiplex chains observed their best festive weekend this Diwali in terms of box office collection and audience turnout since the Covid-19 pandemic, marking a contrast to the usual scene at cinemas in recent months.

 

This Diwali weekend, two major Hindi-language sequels were released—Anees Bazmee's horror-comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Rohit Shetty's cop universe movie Singham Again.

 

PVR INOX, Cinepolis India, Miraj Cinemas, and Mukta A2 Cinemas told Business Standard that this Diwali weekend was the most anticipated for theatres, with significant audience turnout across all their screens.

 

“The 2024 Diwali releases performed better overall due to an increased number of shows, which positively impacted box office revenue,” said Devang Sampat, managing director of Cinepolis India, the first international cinema exhibitor in India. “Additionally, the Diwali 2024 releases debuted on the Friday after Diwali, giving them a full weekend for audience engagement, unlike in 2023 when the release fell on Diwali Sunday.”

 

 

Sampat added that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 grossed Rs 12 crore, while Singham Again made Rs 11 crore this Diwali weekend, compared with YRF's (Yash Raj Films) spy universe movie Tiger 3, which generated Rs 12.6 crore.

 

For PVR INOX, India’s largest cinema exhibitor, this Diwali marked one of its best festive seasons, achieving the second-highest weekend occupancy across its cinemas. This was surpassed only by the August 11–13, 2023 weekend, when Gadar 2 (Hindi) and Jailer (Tamil) were released, said Gautam Dutta, chief executive officer of revenue and operations, PVR INOX.

 

Similarly, Miraj Cinemas reported its highest weekend footfall of around 4.5 lakh admissions, with a 65 per cent occupancy rate, according to Amit Sharma, managing director, Miraj Entertainment. He added that Singham Again, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and Amaran (Tamil-language movie) led the weekend’s box office collection.

 

“We observed a diverse mix of audiences attending the cinema, with a particularly high turnout from families and young adults eager to enjoy both the latest releases and our exciting food offerings,” said Satwik Lele, chief operating officer (COO), Mukta A2 Cinemas. He noted that Mukta A2 Cinemas saw multiple housefull shows this festive weekend.

 

Cinepolis India, the Indian arm of Mexico-based cinema exhibitor, reported a 62 per cent occupancy for the 2024 Diwali releases, compared with 50 per cent occupancy for the 2023 Diwali release. PVR INOX saw over 70 per cent occupancy nationwide, led by Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, followed by notable regional releases like Amaran and Lucky Bhaskar (a Telugu-language movie).

 

The average ticket price (ATP) for the 2024 Diwali releases was 10 per cent higher than for the 2023 Diwali release, Sampat noted. In terms of total tickets sold, Cinepolis India recorded 5.7 lakh admissions from 4,571 shows during the Diwali 2024 weekend, up from 3.4 lakh admissions from 3,396 shows in Diwali 2023.

 

“BookMyShow recorded an impressive 8.2 million tickets sold over the festive weekend, with both Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again surpassing the 2 million mark,” said Ashish Saksena, COO-Cinemas, BookMyShow. “This festive period saw cinema enthusiasts flocking to theatres across the country, with Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR leading, followed by Pune, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Kochi. The robust turnout has set a high benchmark for the remainder of the festive quarter.”

 

Saksena added that Amaran and Lucky Bhaskar also drew large crowds in southern markets.

 

While multiplex chains were enthusiastic about having multiple shows this Diwali weekend, Sampat highlighted that the distributors of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again requested a higher percentage of show allocations.

 

“Initially, the show allocation between Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 was set at 60:40 in favour of Singham Again. However, by the weekend, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 shows were increased, and the final ratio was adjusted to 55:45. In most states, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 saw stronger demand than Singham Again,” said Sampat.