Recently, Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Ltd, spoke exclusively with Bollywood Hungama about the exciting new and older releases which will be screened at India’s largest multiplex chain in the month of March. During this interaction, we also asked him about Sikandar, starring Salman Khan.
Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said, “The expectations are huge as one can’t underestimate the massive following that Salman Khan has. He’s also coming with a film after a long time. It’s looking great and the timing is just right as it arrives on Eid. Hence, our fingers are crossed and we are looking forward to it eagerly.”
A few days ago, the social media handle of PVR Inox Cinemas asked fans if they’d like to watch Phir Hera Pheri (2006) or Bhagam Bhag (2006) on the big screen. The former has a cult following and its first part, Hera Pheri (2000), is celebrating its 25th anniversary on March 31. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli spoke about it as well, “It won’t happen in March. But if the response comes out strongly, then I am sure we’ll plan a release soon.”
Coming soon – Inox Borivali
Last month, Bollywood Hungama exclusively reported that Inox Sky City Mall & IMAX Borivali, Mumbai, will soon start operations. There were murmurs that the ten-screen multiplex will be thrown open to the public in March 2025. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, however, clarified, “It’s looking very good and it’s a great property. But I don’t think we’ll be able to open in March. It’ll open sometime in April.”
PVR turns cashless
Recently, certain PVR Inox multiplexes have turned cashless, as mentioned at these properties. The ‘cashless’ message also pops up when patrons book tickets at these theatres online. When asked about it, Sanjeev Kumar Bijli explained, “We currently running a lot of pilots all across the country. That’s the exciting part of the business – trying something new either with content, customer service or technology. The idea to go cashless was to make things more convenient. There are very few cash transactions happening around the country anyway. We decided to implement it in around 40 properties and we have got a lot of positive feedback from the customers and staff. The cashless transaction is much faster as it involves less cash to handle. It also aligns with Narendra Modi ji’s dream of moving to a cashless society (smiles).”
Paying through UPI and credit/debit cards has become an indispensable part of our lives but a tiny section of the population still prefers to pay by currency notes. In such a scenario, will the PVR staff accept cash? Sanjeev Kumar Bijli replied, “We are looking at other solutions like issuing PVR cards. It can be brought by cash and patrons can load a particular amount on the card.”
