What made 'Dhurandhar' a winner for multiplex food counters
What's the story
The recent Bollywood film Dhurandhar not only made waves at the box office but also significantly increased food and beverage sales at multiplex chains. PVR INOX CEO Gautam Dutta revealed to MoneyControl that the film's four-hour runtime led to higher sales as audiences were more likely to buy snacks during intermission. "We did one of our maximum food sales during Dhurandhar," he said.
Revenue boost
'After 4/5 shows, we realised - people were famished'
The surge in food and beverage sales during Dhurandhar's run was unprecedented for PVR INOX. The Spend Per Head (SPH) figures skyrocketed to nearly ₹190, even surpassing ₹200 on weekend evening shows. This unexpected increase helped the company recover from a slow start to the quarter. "We didn't understand at first why our SPH had shot up. After four or five shows, we realised - people were famished," Dutta admitted.
Sales surge
Film's impact on PVR INOX's December quarter
The December quarter began on a weak note for PVR INOX's food counters. However, the release of Dhurandhar and later, Avatar changed the game. "We were trending slightly lower than last year on SPH until Dhurandhar came. Then within 20 days, everything changed," Dutta said. By the end of FY26's December quarter, PVR INOX's F&B spend per head had increased to ₹146 from ₹140 a year earlier.
Industry impact
Other multiplex chains also benefited from film's success
The film's success wasn't limited to PVR INOX; other multiplex chains also saw a significant increase in food and beverage sales. Miraj Cinemas recorded ₹13 crore in F&B sales during the film's run, while Roongta Cinemas witnessed around ₹65 lakh across its four cinemas in December. "Unlike previous hits that drew crowds but didn't convert into snack sales, Dhurandhar maintained a healthy footfall-to-F&B ratio from the outset," said Sanjay Barjatya, CEO of Roongta Cinemas.