India’s Inflatable Cinema Picturetime Pins Hopes On ‘RRR’: First Weekend Is Houseful

Mobile and inflatable cinema company Picturetime has pinned all hopes on the response to the much-awaited Indian film, SS Rajamouli’s RRR. The film is set for a theatrical release on March 25. Cinemas have resumed hundred percent occupancy in most states in India, but they have seen a very low footfall. Picturetime is now looking at reviving business with the release of RRR.

Starring Alia Bhatt, Ram Charan, NT Rama Rao Junior and Ajay Devgn in lead roles, the film will release in 12 Picturetime screens across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Ladakh and Haryana in India. With 120 seats each, the advance booking for the film was already houseful for the entire weekend – all shows through Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Founder & CEO of India’s Picturetime Digiplex Pvt Ltd Sushil Chaudhary started inflatable-mobile cinema in India back in 2015. Picturetime currently has around 40 inflatable theatres across India. Six of those opened with the release of RRR.

Let us look into the functioning, benefits and drawbacks of inflatable cinema in India; and how Picturetime managed to stay afloat despite shutdown of theatres over the past two years.

The need for mobile cinema in India

Chaudhary is a tech entrepreneur who has spent 14 years outside India. He ran his own company before returning to India in 2014. He says films were always a huge part of his life, and he realized that “life is not just about the basic necessities of food, clothing and housing”, soon after he returned to India. He adds, “Mental health and satisfaction are important and I felt that satisfaction is something that Amitabh Bachchan (Bollywood star) and Rajinikanth (Indian star) give us.”

He then goes on to explain that the main idea behind his concept of mobile theatre was to cut down the cost of building one, and also ensure that it involves fewer permissions from the governments. He wanted to target the low screen density in India, especially the rural India. “Our DCI screens can be set up in less than $0.13 million. They take very little time for set-up as well. The operational costs are even better because we do not have to bother about the plumbing, drainage, etc. Even the safety norms are easier to comply with.”

Over the past few years, Picturetime has installed some inflatable theatres in semi-urban areas with low theatre density and built structures such as food court around. While it makes it practically similar to a multiplex, it also adds to the revenue.

Last year, Indian Union Territory of Ladakh got the first cinema when Picturetime installed one in August. It was part of the first edition of Himalayan Film Festival being held there in 2021. Ranveer Singh-starrer 83 and Akshay Kumar’s BellBottom were screened at the time. Earlier this month, The Kashmir Files also premiered in Picturetime’s structure installed in Ladakh, India.

How Picturetime handled the pandemic shutdown of cinemas

Talking about the peak of the second wave of coronavirus, Chaudhary says, “We transformed our theatres for Covid-19 isolation structures. We built 37 hospitals and 1400 isolation wards and ICU wards around India. We started using our structure for health and medical purposes. That gave us good money, as well as a good name. That is how we could sustain a pandemic when investments and releases were not there.”

Picturetime also diversifies the use of the inflatable theatres and uses it for building e-commerce relationships and providing a government-public platform for social messages. It also engages in many other such rural out-reach collaborations with the government as well multi-national companies. Picturetime mobile theatres were used for the state-organized film festival recently held in India’s Arunachal Pradesh.

Inflatable movie theatre Vs Open-air cinema and other formats

Open-air theatres are also an interesting alternative to the traditional cinema theatres. However, the sound quality is nothing compared to a theatre. The material used for Picturetime’s inflatable theatres ensure that the acoustics make you forget that you are not in a multiplex. Manager of Technical Operations Picture Time Digiplex Pvt Ltd, Deepak Sahu says the theatres run with 5.1 digital sound system. Dolby sound is likely to be introduced to their mobile cinema soon, he adds.

Whether it is roof-top or drive-in or any other style, open-air cinemas are luxury experience. On the other hand, inflatable cinemas offer a chance for the people in the rural areas to experience multiplex-like cinema viewing – an experience that is better than the tent-cinema. It is a cost-effective way of entertainment. With the ticket prices ranging from $0.66 to $3.93, Picturetime is economical with respect to the single screen theatres as well.

Managing revenues, and low ticket rates

Chaudhary says, “While multiplexes usually get 30% seating occupancy, we screen popular films with 70-80% occupancy. That covers majority of the costing difference (adding to a better revenue). That edge also allows us to ensure that we do not extend the interval time. ” Unlike a multiplex interval that lasts at least 15-20 minutes, Picturetime limits the interval time to a maximum of five minutes.

“With that extra money (from better occupancy), we draw a line. It is unfair to the audience if we extend intervals. I’d rather have four to five shows a day than have longer intervals (that translate into more ad revenues) but limited shows. People need to watch their film when they are queuing up for films. The advertisement revenue appears very tempting but we need to draw the line. At Picturetime, it is strictly business – the business of cinema – for us,” he adds.

Ventures such as Caravan Talkies also started out around the same time as Picturetime and have been expanding the audience for Indian films.