Delhi loves its movies, prefers them on big screen

When it’s movie time, Delhiites don’t seem to mind a little extra legwork. That explains why, at a time when pirated copies of latest Bollywood flicks lie a click away and TV channels indulgently “premiere” films within two months of their release, the number of people going to cinema halls to watch films is still increasing.

When it’s movie time, Delhiites don’t seem to mind a little extra legwork.

HT Image

That explains why, at a time when pirated copies of latest Bollywood flicks lie a click away and TV channels indulgently “premiere” films within two months of their release, the number of people going to cinema halls to watch films is still increasing.

From 55 cinema halls and a daily average of 40,000 film-goers in 2002, the number has more than doubled over the past one decade.

According to the Delhi Statistical Handbook 2012, released by Delhi government’s directorate of economics and statistics, close to 100,000 people watch movies every day. The bait is not just what’s on screen, but the entire experience — plush halls, sound effects and great snacks. “They also make better films now than in the 1990s,” says Anirban Das, a chartered accountant and a cinema hall regular.

Hollywood flicks as well as film festivals are also a huge draw. “About 40-45% of our box-office collections are from Hollywood films. Cine-goers are ready to spend on a good film,” says a PVR spokesperson, India’s largest multiplex chain.