Drishyam The Conclusion has handed PVR INOX one of its strongest admission weekends, with the chain logging 30 lakh admissions in the first weekend of October. Executive Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli told Bollywood Hungama the number was “among the highest we have ever recorded.”
The weekend that lifted October
Drishyam The Conclusion earned Rs 162 crore across the opening weekend and is still sustaining, Bijli said. The Japanese animation title Doraemon: Castle Of The Undersea Devil added about Rs 8 crore, a result he called a pleasant surprise. Together they pushed the chain’s weekend admissions to 30 lakh.
September set the base
The strong October follows a healthy September. Hanuman Ansh, a sleeper hit, is close to Rs 400 crore. Mirzapur The Movie and The Vvaan also delivered the footfalls the chain was looking for.
- Hanuman Ansh: close to Rs 400 crore, an unexpected sleeper hit.
- Drishyam The Conclusion: Rs 162 crore opening weekend.
- Doraemon: roughly Rs 8 crore weekend from a Japanese animation release.
Offers are not an afterthought
The Drishyam Pav Bhaji offer, which gave a free Pav Bhaji on a four-ticket purchase, originated with the producers, Bijli noted. He positioned it as part of a wider promotional discipline: discounted Tuesday and weekday-morning pricing, plus bank and credit-card tie-ups, are used to make a cinema visit easier to choose.
Re-releases and Hollywood are adding volume
Avengers Endgame: Encore performed well, helped by new footage and its role as a lead-in to December’s Avengers: Doomsday. Bijli said Hollywood has been phenomenal in 2026: Spider-Man: Brand New Day crossed Rs 400 crore, The Odyssey collected around Rs 200 crore, and Obsession reached Rs 100 crore. The Devil Wears Prada 2, Michael and Project Hail Mary also drew audiences.
What it means for planning
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the numbers suggest demand across languages, animation and re-releases rather than a single blockbuster effect. Bijli’s broader hypothesis is that audiences are choosing the communal big-screen experience over staying home. That is a behavioural shift worth watching as the festive quarter builds.
Ramayana and screen expansion
Bijli expects Ramayana to be a massive grosser, saying it has all the ingredients to become a blockbuster. PVR INOX is also expanding capacity: an IMAX screen at Pacific Mall, Jaipur, with the mall opening October 11 and the cinema operational before Ramayana, plus another IMAX planned for Chennai this financial year.
Source: Bollywood Hungama
