How does PVR Inox pick global titles for Indian fans?
Decisions about acquisitions are objective, contrary to what the selected movies intend to do inside theatres: make viewers feel. For PVR Inox, choosing global titles means weighing studio partnerships, genre resonance and past box office performance. “We look at which studio is releasing the film. That’s a big play for us. Once a studio or a distributor in the US has picked it up and done a good job marketing it abroad, it carries through to international audiences as well,” shares Nayana Bijli, Director - Licensing and Acquisitions, PVR Inox.
She continues candidly, “We look at genres that we think will really resonate with Indian audiences. We just stay attuned to what’s working in the market. For example, we saw that anime worked well and realised there’s a strong community here for it. So then, we will meet more Japanese studios to see what else we can get for the market. And finally, we are all movie buffs, so it comes down to it being a good movie, good acting and good director.”
Box office collections, social media reactions and internal occupancy rates are critical factors that help PVR Inox to determine a movie’s success. These indicators, however, are not read in isolation. They are evaluated against the question of whether a film would resonate and create a sustained buzz. A strong opening weekend can often be the result of marketing muscle and pre-release anticipation, but what matters just as much is how the film holds in its later weeks.
“There’s a lot that we do on the marketing side. Having that infrastructure to increase visibility for the movie is a big piece of it. At the same time, you can do a lot, but the movie may still not resonate with the audience. Maybe the first weekend is well, and then it kind of trickles off. I think the real testament of how a film performance is when it’s in the third or fourth week and people are still talking about it,” she explains.
Fandoms drive the buzz
For the recently released Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson-starrer The Smashing Machine, PVR INOX tapped into the MMA, UFC and boxing academy communities across India. “We reached out to ground-level communities, and they spread it further. The film is resonating through them, and we’re reaching numbers we didn’t anticipate,” Bijli shares. The combination of infrastructure and community engagement ensures that the film’s themes and discussions reach the right audience; ultimately, however, viewers have to meet the movie halfway.
Celebrities like Farhan Akhtar, drawn by Dwayne Johnson’s new role and the story of the athlete, also participated, further expanding the film’s reach. PVR INOX leveraged its long-standing relationships with niche communities and micro-influencers to extend the film’s visibility, creating a ripple effect that goes beyond traditional marketing channels. In total, 67 partnerships contributed to roughly 500,000 organic views.
Wait, watch, hope
This level of engagement has clear implications for in-cinema advertising. “We approach every film with the same enthusiasm,” she says, explaining that the ad sales team focuses on the buzz around a movie a month or two in advance. On the distribution side, the hype is created about two weeks before the release. But the hype doesn’t start just then.
It begins much earlier, as audiences connect with the theme, character, or plot. It could be weeks or even months before the movie hits theatres, and that resonance is often what drives it to the big screen in the first place. “It’s like a flywheel effect. People watch more online, and when a big movie comes out, they want to see it in the theatre. There’s more available digitally, but audiences still want the in-person experience with a community,” Bijli explains.
Fans of a character on a streaming show, for example, may flock to the cinema to experience the story alongside others who share their interests. This dynamic informs acquisitions, with PVR INOX tracking trends on platforms like Crunchyroll, for example, to identify anime and international titles that have traction online before bringing them to theatres.
Global meets urban
Geography plays a key role in planning the release of these movies. Global titles are typically released in urban centres where cinema infrastructure and audience density align with demand. “The Smashing Machine is focused on Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, while Marty Supreme has a slightly wider release, still centred around urban areas. Around 50 per cent of our cinemas are in these locations, so we plan Hollywood releases accordingly,” she says.
The type of theatre experience is determined by the genre and target audience for each movie. “People do come to regular theatres. For example, this drama isn’t a 4DX movie, so it’s released in regular properties. For animation or action films, we push them into 4DX or IMAX. We decide the release plan after watching the film and assessing what experience it demands,” Bijli adds. By matching format to content, PVR INOX ensures viewers get the most immersive and appropriate cinematic experience.
Looking ahead, the lineup of global titles continues to grow, signalling a rising appetite for diverse international films. Upcoming titles such as Good Fortune with Keanu Reeves, Nuremberg, Now You See Me 3, and Marty Supreme showcase a variety in recent acquisitions. “There is an audience for every type of movie we have acquired. Our job is to ensure the right people hear about these films and come out to watch them,” Bijli concludes.
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