With ticket prices set at just ₹99, movie enthusiasts in Pune filled theaters to catch films like Shah Rukh Khan's 'Jawan' and Akshay Kumar's 'Mission Raniganj' on National Cinema Day on Friday. Many patrons seized the chance to indulge in back-to-back screenings, enjoying a welcome break from the usually steep ticket costs.
Suhani Madani, a college student, expressed her excitement, saying, "I've come to watch 'Mission Raniganj' with my friends. The ₹99 ticket price is great for us collegegoers." Atharva Jadhav, another college student, mentioned that he came straight from college practicals to the theatre. "There are six of us, and after watching 'Mission Raniganj,' we will go to another theater to watch another movie," he added.
Kaustubh Joshi, on the other hand, was more inclined to rewatch old classics. "Films like '3 Idiots' and 'Dil Chahta Hai' have been re-released in theaters for National Cinema Day. We will try to watch as many films as possible today. Earlier, we had missed watching a few films due to the high ticket prices."
The celebration extended beyond Pune, with over 4,000 screens at multiplexes across India participating in the festivities.
Last year, National Cinema Day was observed on September 23, with tickets available at a discounted rate of ₹75. It was a massive success, registering the highest-ever single-day admissions of 6.5 million.
Why is National Cinema Day celebrated?
National Cinema Day was established by the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) last year. This initiative aimed to mark the reopening of cinemas after the COVID-19 pandemic. The MAI chose to provide substantial discounts on movie tickets to encourage patrons to support cinema owners who had faced substantial losses due to the pandemic. Additionally, it was an effort by cinema proprietors to revive the allure of the big screen and entice audiences away from the growing competition of OTT platforms, particularly during the pandemic.
