The last quarter of the previous financial year ended on a positive note for the exhibition industry, thanks to the success of films like Border 2 and Dhurandhar The Revenge. The first quarter of this financial year has also started well. As India's largest multiplex chain, PVR INOX Ltd is leading this positive phase. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, the company's Executive Director, is feeling hopeful. The company is not just showing films but also distributing many local and Hollywood movies through PVR INOX Pictures. The financial year started with the release of The Drama, an acclaimed film starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya.
The company has an exciting list of films coming up, like Hokum (May 8 or May 15), Tuner (May 29), Furious (June 12), The Invite (June 26), I Want Your Sex (July 31), Mutiny (August 21), Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping (November 26), Wife And Dog (date not yet finalized), Musk (date not yet finalized), and the Japanese anime ChaO (date not yet finalized).
The Hindi films being distributed include Ek Din (May 1), Aakhri Sawal (May 8), Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai (May 22; certain territories), Raftaar (July 24), and Gabru (date not yet finalized). In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sanjeev Kumar Bijli talked about current trends in the exhibition industry, upcoming films, and more.
How has the current quarter been so far, and what are your expectations for the films coming to cinemas in the next two months?
The first quarter started on a very positive note.
The release of Dhurandhar The Revenge in April was a boost. Bhooth Bangla did decent business, grossing over 100 crores at the box office in India. We released The Drama, which made about 5 crores GBOC all India. It's a small number but big for an independent film, which is what PVR INOX Pictures does. Michael also did well, and Project Hail Mary performed exceptionally well worldwide and in India as well.
According to our targets, we may not have a blockbuster April, but it will be a good one.
However, May has a big lineup. Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, looks funny. Varun Dhawan's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is also promising. The film everyone is talking about in the office is Raja Shivaji, which releases on May 1, along with The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Ek Din. We also have many regional films coming out. Patriot is a big one, which also comes out on May 1.
June looks great with a great lineup of films.
Toxic is something to watch out for. We have Chand Mera Dil, Cocktail 2, Main Vaapas Aunga, Disclosure Day, etc., in this quarter that should bring audiences to cinemas.
PVR INOX released Dhurandhar The Revenge in certain circuits, and the film has become an all-time grosser.
It also collected more than 100 crores in a single day, a feat it managed on two consecutive days. Did this come as a surprise, or was it expected?
It is hard to say.
The buzz was always there, as the first part had done very well and created a lot of conversation. That is what makes a movie popular. So, it was a pleasant surprise that it performed the way it did. We knew it would do well, but we didn't know it would beat the first part. I am glad it did.
You recently attended the 76th Berlin International Film Festival and will also be attending the 79th Cannes Film Festival in May 2026.
What motivates you to attend these festivals?
We have been doing this for 20 years now.
We have been visiting not just Berlin and Cannes, but also AFM, the American Film Market in Los Angeles, where we buy international independent films. About 20 years ago, we noticed a gap—several independent studios like Miramax, New Line Cinema, and others didn't release their films in India. That's when we started PVR INOX Pictures and decided to acquire the rights to such films and distribute them in India. This has been going on for two decades now.
At these markets, we also get to watch films that we eventually buy.
I watched The Drama in Berlin, along with other films. I also saw Hokum, which we bought from Neon and will release in May. We also have the rights to release The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde. It has a great cast, including Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. It will come out on June 26.
In short, film festivals are where we meet many independent film companies, nearly 40 of them.
We also meet Japanese companies because we distribute a lot of anime films. We are also interested in releasing films in French, Spanish, and other European languages because the world is now language-agnostic. We value good cinema, regardless of its language. We bought some great films in Berlin and look forward to watching and acquiring a lot of exciting films in Cannes as well, like we do every year.
