PVR targets small towns for digital theatres

MUMBAI: Multiplex chain PVR, which already has its chain under the name of PVR Cinemas, is now looking at targeting smaller towns and cities (tier II and tier III cities) with the launch of the PVR Talkies.

PVR Talkies is aimed to resurrect the cinema experience in smaller towns in India and will kick-start with pilot projects in Aurangabad and Latur. The digital theatres will have tickets priced in the range of Rs 40 – Rs 60 and is slated to be operational by the end of this month. The company is looking at a presence in 13 states and 70+ cities in Phase I.

PVR Cinemas, which launched the multiplex culture in India in 1997, is all set to bring in the next revolution with digital theatres. Once the technology is in place, these theatres will work on the principle of digitised content being distributed to theatres through satellite or fiber, upload to a digital cinema server, which serves it to a digital projector for screening and hence bridging the demand supply gap (movie prints vis-Ã -vis no. of screens), in the years to come and that too, at no additional distribution costs.

The digital theatres are also expected to impact the movie industry significantly as it is expected to unleash a revolution turning the company’s vision into reality with a multiplex in every town and city. PVR Talkies will enable wide releases of a movie in different distribution territories all across the country ensuring large scale consumer and industry benefits with proportionately reduced cost, incurred on the celluloid prints.

Pan-India openings will also guarantee larger release made available across different territories leading to nationwide screenings, which will in turn ensure better return on investments for producers, distributors among others. The company stated that this would also be helpful in curbing piracy, widely prevalent in India in the absence of the right technology.

PVR Talkies has identified and accommodated overlapping tastes and preferences by including newer set of audiences who also have a huge appetite of watching movies other than urban areas. The design philosophy will be based on functionality, youthfulness and vibrancy in comfortable surroundings, not compromising on industry standards.

Highlights of PVR Talkies 

1. 
   
   Computerized tickets
   
   
2. 
   
   Seating Capacity Aurangabad- three screens, 1151 seats, Latur-three screens, 1148 seats
   
   
3. 
   
   Integrated Security Devices and Systems
   
   
4. 
   
   Centrally Air Conditioned / or air cooled
   
   
5. 
   
   Physically challenged patron facility
   
   
6. 
   
   Reclining seats
   
   
7. 
   
   Dolby Digital sound System
   
   
8. 
   
   Kids Zone
   
   
9. 
   
   Digitally enabled projection technology
   
   
10. 
    
    Customized Food Court “Khana Peena” 

PVR chairman and managing director Ajay Bijli said, “In 1997, we enhanced the way India went to the movies. Now, in the second stage of our mission, we are taking our enhancement to more and more places in the country. With PVR Talkies, the people’s cinema has arrived. It is my fervent hope that PVR Talkies will induce people to come back to the big screen and rediscover the true magic of the movies.”