Movies
Miraj Cinemas inaugurates its first six-screen opulent multiplex in Bengaluru
Mumbai: Multiplex chain Miraj Cinemas opened its first six-screen ultra-luxurious multiplex in the city. The new multiplex is expected to offer a cutting-edge cinematic experience as well as best-in-class gourmet food options.
It’s on the first floor of TGN Lotus Elite, above D-Mart on Magadi Main Road in Sunkadakatte, Bangalore. Karnataka Infrastructure Development minister V Somanna, Karnataka Horticulture minister Munirathna and Cinema producer Karnataka Cooperation minister Somashekahar, MLA, Manjunath, Ex-MLA Priyakrishna and TGN Lotus MD T.G. Narasimha Murthy were also present at the grand opening of Miraj’s first multiplex in the city.
The multiplex chain plans to invest Rs 70 crore in the next 30 screens in cities such as Chennai, Ranchi, and Surat, among others. Furthermore, Rs 120 crore has been set aside as part of its aggressive investment for another 50 screens, with fit-out beginning in January to March 2023 and properties opening from July to October 2023 in cities such as Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.
Miraj Entertainment Ltd. MD Amit Sharma said, “It is indeed a momentous day for us as we open our flagship multiplex in Bengaluru today. Bengaluru is one of the country’s most vibrant and progressive cities, and we look forward to being a part of its growth story. With the launch of Beanary Café, which will be open to all regardless if you are there to watch a film or not, and our signature live kitchen, Cafe’s Corner, we are confident that the multiplex will be well-received by the people here. It will surely add to this booming city’s already vibrant culture and nightlife scene. Furthermore, setting up the multiplex in Sunkadakatte will attract more footfalls to this area and contribute positively to the city’s growing reputation as a key destination for films and filmmaking. It is a truly world-class facility that will provide an outstanding movie-going experience for our customers.”
The newly opened multiplex promises an immersive movie-watching experience and has 1,283 seats in total, including 1,203 ultra-comfortable seats and 80 recliner seats, as well as a palatial lobby. The ideal location for cinephiles to catch the latest international and Indian blockbusters!
Miraj Cinemas has installed top-tier Christie RGB Laser CP2320 2K projection systems and 7.1 Digital Dolby sound systems in four screens, as well as Dolby Atmos sound in two screens, to improve its patrons’ cinema viewing experience. Furthermore, the café is outfitted with cutting-edge processing equipment and adheres to strict hygiene and sanitation standards around the clock. Along with the live kitchen, the multiplex chain will open its first independent Beanary Café, which will offer a variety of food and beverage options.
Miraj Cinemas has finally opened its first six-screen multiplex in Bengaluru, after a decade-long journey under Sharma’s leadership. The state of Karnataka has been extremely welcoming and supportive of the multiplex chain, and it looks forward to serving the state’s movie-going population for many years to come. Miraj has kept up with technological advances that benefit moviegoers in tiers two and three cities as well as their counterparts in major metro areas, in addition to its national expansion plans.
Hindi
GUEST COLUMN: Why film libraries & IPs are the new engines of growth
Unlocking value through catalogue strength and IP synergy
MUMBAI:In a media landscape defined by fragmentation, platform proliferation, and ever-evolving audience behavior, the economics of filmmaking are undergoing a fundamental shift. No longer confined to box office performance, a film’s true value is now measured across an extended lifecycle that spans digital platforms, syndication networks, and global markets. As content consumption becomes increasingly non-linear and algorithm-driven, film libraries and intellectual properties (IPs) are emerging as strategic assets, capable of delivering sustained, long-term returns. For Mohan Gopinath, head – bollywood business at Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd., this transformation signals a decisive move from hit-driven models to portfolio-led value creation. In this piece, Gopinath explores how legacy content, when intelligently repurposed and distributed, can unlock recurring revenue streams, why the interplay between catalogue and original IP is critical, and how media companies can build resilient, future-ready entertainment businesses.
For all these years, we thought that a film is successful if it performs well in theatres. There are opening weekend numbers, box office milestones, and distribution footprints that gave a good picture of how the movie has done commercially and also tell us about its cultural impact. However, there are multiple platforms today, always-on content ecosystem, which has caused a shift. Today, the theatrical performance is not the culmination of a film’s journey but merely the beginning of a much longer and more dynamic lifecycle.
Film libraries today are emerging as high-value, constantly evolving assets that deliver sustained returns well beyond initial release cycles. This becomes a point of great advantage for legacy content owners with diverse catalogues, to shape long-term business outcomes.
According to FICCI-EY, the media and entertainment industry of India achieved a valuation of Rs 2.78 trillion in 2025 which is expected to reach Rs 3.3 trillion by 2028 through a compound annual growth rate of approximately 7 per cent and digital media will bring in more than Rs 1 trillion to become the biggest sector which generates about 36 per cent of overall market revenues.
This shift is the expansion of distribution endpoints. We know how satellite television was once the primary secondary window but today, it coexists with YouTube, OTT platforms, Connected TV, and FAST channels. Each of these platforms caters to distinct audience demographics and consumption behaviors, helping content owners to obtain more value from the same asset across multiple formats.
For instance, films that had great reruns, now find continuous engagement across digital platforms. On YouTube, classic Hindi cinema continues to attract significant viewership, reaching audiences across generations and geographies with remarkable consistency. At Shemaroo Entertainment, this is reflected in our film library shaped over decades as part of a long association with Indian entertainment. From classics such as Amar Akbar Anthony to much-loved entertainers like Jab We Met, Welcome, Dhamaal, Phir Hera Pheri, Dhol, Golmaal, and Bhagam Bhag, many of these titles continue finding new audiences while retaining their place in popular memory. Their enduring appeal reflects how culturally resonant stories can continue creating value over time. Similarly, FAST channels have created curated, always-on environments where catalogue content can continue to thrive through star-led and genre-based programming.
This multi-platform approach has very well transformed films into long-tail IP assets which are capable of generating recurring revenue across advertising, subscription, and syndication models.
The evolution of audience behavior is equally important. Nowadays, it’s more important to find what’s more relative than what’s recent as viewers are more influenced by mood, memories, and algorithmic suggestions than by release schedules. Even if a movie was released decades ago, it can trend alongside a newly released movie, if surfaced in the right context. Thoughtful packaging, whether through festival-based playlists, actor-driven collections, or genre clusters, allows catalogue content to remain dynamic and continuously discoverable. Shemaroo Entertainment has built extensive film libraries over decades and its focus has mostly been on recontextualizing content for the consumption of newer environments. This process doesn’t just include digitization and restoration, but also re-packaging of films as per platforms.
Syndication itself has evolved into a key growth driver. In perspective, when looking at the domestic market, curated content packages continue to find strong demand across broadcast and digital platforms. Meanwhile, in the international market, especially in markets like Middle East, North America and Southeast Asia, the appetite for Indian content is opening up new monetization avenues. Here, the ability to package and position catalogue content effectively becomes as important as the content itself.
Importantly, the need to re-package catalogue content does not diminish the role of new content. In fact, originals and fresh IP are essential to sustaining the long-term value of a film library because they act as discovery engines that bring audiences into the ecosystem, while catalogue content drives depth, retention, and repeat engagement.
This interplay between the “new” and the “known” is what defines a robust content strategy today. While new films generate spikes in consumption, catalogue titles offer familiarity and comfort. These are factors that are increasingly valuable in an era of content abundance and decision fatigue. This is also shaping our strategy, drawing value from both a deep catalogue assets and a growing focus on original IPs to strengthen long-term audience engagement and build more predictable revenue streams.
There is growing recognition that long-term value in entertainment will be shaped not only by how intelligently existing content continues to live, travel and find relevance, but also by how consistently new stories are created to renew that ecosystem. In that sense, film libraries and original IP are not parallel bets, but reinforcing engines of growth. For media companies, the opportunity lies in making these two forces work together, because that is increasingly where more resilient and predictable businesses are being shaped.
Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect our own.
