This multiplex chain will screen movies of your choice, at your convenience in its theatres
India’s largest multiplex chain, PVR, thinks it may have just found a new business model to drive more people to its theatres. The entertainment company has announced a new service to allow people to watch the movie they want — old or new.
PVR Pictures announced today Vkaao, a new program as part of which it will do special screening of movies that people want to watch — well almost. It is offering a catalog on its website, through which people can pick the movie they would like to watch, and when they would want to watch it.
The catalog, for instance, has roughly 400 Bollywood, Hollywood, and regional language titles. Some of these include old blockbuster hit Dil to Pagal Hai, critically acclaimed Gandhi, as well as three-year-old Brad Pitt-starrer Fury.
You can select your movie, the theatre where you'd like to watch and your preferred day for the screening.
You can select your movie, the theatre where you'd like to watch and your preferred day for the screening. Vkaao will then add your screening to a public list where others can join. The screening will get confirmed if enough people show interest and buy tickets. PVR will handle the booking process as well as send the film to the theatre.
Movie nerds, however, have mixed feelings about the new service. While ticket prices — pretty much same as those of standard screenings — are great, Vkaao requires at least a few dozen people to show interest before it decides to run a movie.
"It is an interesting initiative. Not sure if it will work, though," said Mumbai-based Tipu Sultan. "Not unless they have a better lineup of movies at least," he added.
"It’s a good way to revisit a classic film," said Mumbai-based filmmaker and designer Kushang Dholakia. "If they're really allowing for a screening with just 3-5 people (at least in some cases) as well then it's genuinely a good service," Dholakia added, saying he just booked a screening with four of his friends.
The service is available in nearly every region -- including New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai -- where PVR theatres are.
