The Bollywood spy thriller, Dhurandhar, which features Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, is literally not only surpassing box office records but also establishing a new high or precedent for mid-week cinema ticket prices in urban centers of India.
The film, which was much awaited, has already made its mark by making the prices of tickets in luxury multiplexes in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR rise to amazing, unheard of amounts, which are usually levied for a weekend, only after a single week of the movie’s release.
The price of one ticket at Maison INOX in the Jio World Plaza in Mumbai has reached an unbelievable ₹ 2,220 for one screening, while India’s Noida-NCR (more precisely PVR Director’s Cut in Gurugram) is selling its highest price tickets for ₹2,100.
This trend is signaling that the film is being highly demanded and the demand is not just for the weekend but for the whole week, even the week days are bypassed. The movie’s positive criticism and solid communication are seemingly protecting it from the usual pricing patterns.
Mid-Week Metro Pricing Phenomenon
Dhurandhar tickets prices in the big cities like Mumbai and Delhi have gone exorbitantly high and thus deviated from the traditional cinema pricing model. The trend in the whole market is that multiplexes give major discounts on Tuesdays and mid-week slots in order to attract more audiences.
Nevertheless, the premium recliner seats of the Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna starrer are priced far beyond the normal weekend rates. For example, ₹2,220 in the BKC area of Mumbai is the price for not just a good but the best screening experience and the way it is charged indicates that there is a portion of the audience who prefer to get instant viewing even at an ultra-premium price.
This, in a way, is an indication that India’s event cinema pricing has entered the Golden Period when market-driven ‘blockbuster surcharge’ comes into play even on a non-holiday weekday.
Dhurandhar’s Unprecedented Demand
The astonishing ticket prices are directly indicative of Dhurandhar’s incredible performance at the box office. The film, which has Aditya Dhar as its director, has even gone beyond the lifetime earnings of the past big hits like Ram Leela, which proves its enormous attraction.
The high ticket prices in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR mainly apply to the premium formats consisting of IMAX, 4DX, and recliner seating, which is a sign that the spectators want nothing less than the most luxurious and immersive viewing experience.
The film’s tickets have been selling out rapidly all over India at almost prohibitive prices, and this has been the case since the very first day, which is a clear indication that the film is already a major cultural event that people do not want to miss, hence its triumph even if the prices are high on a mid-week day.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
