Theatres Cross Pre-Pandemic Gross Revenue Collection

The Covid-19 outbreak caused a catastrophic drought in India's film industry. Several pandemic-induced nationwide lockdowns forced theatres to close for more than 18 months, resulting in a huge loss in revenue. However, after reopening in the second half of 2021, theatres' collections have returned to pre-pandemic levels this month.

Inox Leisure’s chief programming officer, Rajender Singh Jyala, said, “Last three months have been good for us. On average, we are clocking more than ₹1000-1500 crore every month.”

Sharing which movies set the ball rolling at the multiplex chain this year, Jyala added, “Movies RRR and Gangubai Kathiawadi pushed the recovery. Before that, Kashmir Files and now with Bhool Bhulaiya 2, our footfalls and domestic ticket sales are at pre-pandemic level or even better.”

With highly anticipated Bollywood films such as Prithviraj, Brahmastra, and Lal Singh Chaddha set to hit theatres in the next three to four months, Jyala believes the enthusiasm will continue this year. With its current progression, 2022 might turn out to be a golden year for the cinema industry, driven by home-grown content.

Media consulting firm Ormax Media’s Partner, Gautam Jain, said, “The overall domestic box office collections have crossed the ₹4000 crore gross mark from January to April. This is the highest gross box office collection for January to April since 2018."