Multiplexes Anticipate a Record-Breaking Weekend

Film exhibitors are anticipating record attendance during the five-day weekend, which aligns with the release of potentially blockbuster Hindi and regional films, including Stree 2, Khel Khel Mein, Vedaa, Double iSmart, and Thangalaan.

Executives at PVR Inox and Cinepolis believe that the five-day weekend starting with Independence Day on Thursday could surpass last year’s record of 35 million attendees during the Independence Day week.

"For us, it's better when 4 to 5 films work well in tandem rather than one film going through the roof. Stree 2 and Khel Khel Mein are seeing strong traction, but Vedaa, Double iSmart, and Thangalaan are also looking very promising," said PVR Inox co-CEO Gautam Dutta.

PVR Inox has already secured 450,000 advance bookings across the five films and anticipates a surge in ticket sales as the week continues.

"This is only the beginning, as we’ve only started booking for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Considering that advance bookings are currently modest, this number should be viewed in that context," Dutta added.

PVR Inox is expecting footfalls of four million between Thursday and Sunday. "We are expecting a million footfalls on Thursday. We are looking to do a footfall of about 3 million on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday," Dutta said

Cinepolis India MD Devang Sampat noted that the diverse movie line-up is promising, appealing to a range of audience preferences. Cinepolis is targeting 1.2 million attendees for the week.

"We have a five-day holiday, which is unprecedented. Just as Gadar-2 and OMG-2 performed exceptionally well last year, we expect similar success this year," he said, noting that 100,000 tickets have already been sold for Stree 2, Khel Khel Mein, and Vedaa for the weekend.

Jio Studios and Maddock Film’s Stree 2 has sold over 100,000 tickets for its opening day within just 48 hours of tickets becoming available. Based on advance booking data, the film is set to earn over Rs 30 crore on its opening day, August 15.