Appetite for global cinema growing in India, want to bring every genre: PVR Inox's Aamer Bijli
From horror lovers to rom-com and anime enthusiasts, India's filmgoers have diverse tastes and PVR Inox Ltd wants to be the go-to destination for global cinema across formats and genres, says Aamer Bijli, the company's lead strategist for marketing and innovation.
The company is making a major strategic push in bringing international cinema to Indian audiences, starting with the premiere of the upcoming action thriller "Ballerina", headlined by Hollywood star Ana de Armas.
In the next one year, PVR Inox will be distributing some of the major Hollywood titles, both big-budget and indie, from top studios like Lionsgate, A24, Neon, Black Bear and FilmNation."What we see as the future is to ensure that the growing appetite in India is quenched. Essentially every appetite has a particular genre, and we want to be at the forefront of bringing that genre to the Indian market. And this is a combination of international films as well as local films.
"Our business fires on three engines, which are Hollywood films, the Hindi local segment and live events. So we want to really become a prolific player in all three categories," Aamer, son of PVR Inox managing director Ajay Bijli, told PTI in an interview.
At a premiere event for "Ballerina", held at PVR Juhu in Mumbai, the company gave a glimpse into the next four titles that it will be distributing in India -- "Smashing Machine", starring Dwayne Johnson; "Now You See Me: Now You Don't", the third part in Lionsgate heist franchise; Aziz Ansari-directed comedy "Good Fortune", featuring Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen; and anime film "Shinchan: Kasukabe Dancers".Besides, PVR Inox has a robust slate for the year 2025-26, spanning genres like horror, musicals, drama, romance, and action. It includes five films from critically-acclaimed studio A24. The movies are -- "The Riders" with Brad Pitt; "The Drama" with Robert Pattinson and Zendaya; "Marty Supreme" with Timothee Chalamet; "Onslaught" with Adria Arjona and Dan Stevens; and "Sorry Baby" from actor-director Eva Victor.From Lionsgate, it will be bringing out "The Strangers: Chapter 2" and "SAW 11". It will also distribute Neon's "The Housewife", starring Naomi Watts, in the country.For Black Bear Pictures, PVR Inox will distribute filmmaker Guy Ritchie's "The Wife & Dog", featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Anthony Hopkins and Rosamund Pike, as well as six other titles -- Gerard Butler's "Greenland: Migration", "Relay" with Lily James, Riz Ahmed and Sam Worthington; "Afterburn", starring Samuel L Jackson; "Fred & Ginger" with Margaret Qualley; Zac Efron's "Famous"; and "I Want Your Sex", starring Olivia Wilde."We've always tried to maintain a very fruitful and amicable relationship with these studios. It's always been a to-and-fro to understand what films they're producing, what films the international audience is liking, and what films resonate with India."We have exponentially grown in terms of size because now independent cinema is also really demanding big budgets. A lot of big actors are being associated with independent films and it's really going to grow," Aamer said.Asked about the content acquisition strategy of PVR Inox, he said genre plays a pivotal role."There are certain genres that cut across the language barrier more than others. And the major genre that does this is action films. Some films that even we don't dub tend to see its day in the sun."But action firms are notorious for their dubbable ability. You can dub it into all the languages and that's something we specialise, in regional and Hindi language to dub these films in. So that's a big part of the strategy." Another aspect of the strategy is to identify studios as well as independent banners that are credible to partner, Aamer added."We have a very long standing relationship with Lionsgate. We have an output deal with them, and we represent the India office. They have very big budget films such as the 'John Wick' universe, which they want to bring and which suits India," he said.The final piece in the puzzle is the star cast attached to a project, Aamer stressed."There are certain actors and actresses that people resonate with more than others. Sometimes the story, the prowess, the writing, is enough to carry a film forward, but sometimes it needs the extra power, which is the star cast. And it makes these potential content acquisitions possible and gives relevance for the Indian market," he said.Going forward, Aamer is optimistic about India's rising stature as a key market for international films, especially when it comes to hosting premieres and other promotional events of major Hollywood titles."It would really boost the momentum for the film. Films like 'Avatar: The Way of Water', which released two years ago, and 'Oppenheimer', they all did so well that they were comparable with global box office numbers as well."Even in the independent film space. Like 'John Wick' for example. 'John Wick 4' did exceedingly well for us. I think it clocked about USD 4.5 million, which is a very respectable number compared to the grand scheme." India can truly emerge as a global cinema destination if more international films receive commercial success in the country, he added.
"I don't see why studios won't start looking at India as a destination to host premiers, festivals, and all these marque events. I think it is just a matter of time," Aamer said.
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