Box Populi
Cinemas script a blockbuster September with wonders on and off screen
MUMBAI: Lights, camera, September! The festive week has given Indian cinemas their long-awaited full house feeling, with audiences flocking back for blockbusters across languages and genres. From Bollywood action to Malayalam family dramas, Tamil thrillers and Hollywood horrors, the country’s multiplexes have been buzzing with energy.
At PVR Inox, the numbers tell a story of revival. Hindi action spectacle Bhaagi 4 opened with 45 per cent occupancy, Malayalam release Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra topped charts at 74 per cent, and Onam special Hridayapoorvaam struck a chord with families. Tamil entry Madharasi began strong with 45 per cent, while Hollywood’s The Conjuring: The Last Rites lured genre fans with 47 per cent occupancy.
“With this mix of Bollywood blockbusters, regional successes and international titles, September is shaping up to be one of the most exciting months for cinema lovers,” said PVR Inox Ltd CEO for revenue & operations Gautam Dutta.
Riding this momentum, the multiplex giant is rolling out its Weekend of Wonders, a six-film line-up that promises something for every taste.
● Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, a poignant farewell to the Crawley family saga, set in the 1930s.
● The Heer Express, a Punjabi drama of resilience, belonging and hope, as a young woman starts anew in the UK.
● Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, the anime blockbuster making its IMAX debut in India.
● The Long Walk, Stephen King’s dystopian survival thriller directed by Francis Lawrence.
● Ek Chatur Naar, a sharp comedy-thriller with Divya Khosla and Neil Nitin Mukesh, full of twists.
● Mirai, a Telugu fantasy epic starring Teja Sajja as a “Super Yodha”, blending mythology with futuristic battles.
With IMAX, 4DX, and Screenx formats across India, PVR Inox is betting big on immersive experiences to match the scale of storytelling.
Six films, six worlds, and one cinematic carnival, September isn’t just about the festive season anymore, it’s about the big screen roaring back to life.
MUMBAI:If there is a soundtrack to cinema-going, it is the crackle of popcorn and in 2025, audiences at Cinépolis India clearly couldn’t get enough of it. The multiplex chain has revealed its annual popcorn consumption data, showing that moviegoers across its network devoured close to five million tubs of popcorn last year. Broken down, that works out to around 570 tubs every hour, or roughly 10 tubs disappearing every single minute, enough to keep the kernels popping almost non-stop.
In sheer volume terms, Cinépolis sold around 12,000 tonnes of popcorn during the year, underlining just how central the snack has become to the big-screen ritual. Long after the opening credits roll and before the end credits fade, popcorn remains the constant companion.
To celebrate National Popcorn Day on January 19, 2026, the cinema chain is now turning the spotlight on the snack itself. From January 20 to January 31, Cinépolis will run a nationwide “Popcorn Happy Hour”, offering a buy one get one free deal on popcorn across its locations. The limited-period promotion is designed to add a little extra crunch to the moviegoing experience, without adding to the bill.
“Popcorn is the official movie partner, and at Cinépolis, it is the sensory anchor of the cinema experience,” said Cinépolis India managing director Devang Sampat. “With the Popcorn Happy Hour offer, we are making it easier for audiences to add that to their visit, without compromising on quality.”
Sampat added that the consumption data is more than just a fun statistic. Tracking what patrons buy and when they buy it helps the chain refine its food and beverage offerings and shape the overall in-cinema experience. “Our 2025 data helps us understand what patrons are choosing, so we can keep improving the menu and the experience,” he said.
The popcorn push sits within Cinépolis India’s broader Foovies framework, an in-house strategy that treats food and beverages as a core part of cinema-going rather than a side order. The approach focuses on curated menus, value-led campaigns and data-driven decisions, using consumer behaviour to guide what lands at the concession counter.
As theatres continue to compete not just with streaming platforms but with every other leisure option vying for attention, the numbers suggest one thing remains rock-solid: when the lights dim, popcorn still rules the aisle. And with millions of tubs already behind it, Cinépolis is betting that the humble kernel will keep audiences coming back for another bite and another show.
