Multiplex operator PVR Inox has launched a new offering called movie passport to drive up business for smaller films in theatres. This comes just ahead of the company’s September quarter results, scheduled to be released on October 19.

While star-led movies or films made on a large scale have seen higher traction versus pre-Covid levels, small and medium-sized films are seeing uncertainty in terms of box office performance and footfalls.

“Our move is to make small and medium films really popular, creating more stickiness. We want to remove friction around pricing. Right now, the frequency (to visit a cinema) is once a month. We want to see if we can get the audience to walk into cinemas 5-6 times a month,” Gautam Dutta, Co-CEO, PVR INOX, told Moneycontrol. “On National Cinema Day, more people watched smaller films because the pricing friction was less. And that’s how we recorded 12.5 lakh people.

The company is opening with 20,000-25,000 passports. “We will study the consumption and then roll it out on a massive scale. We will see the first month and then reopen it for a much larger audience base,” Dutta said.