THE APEX TIMES
PVR Inox executive Sanjeev Kumar Bijli says India’s cinema market hit record box office in 2025 as theaters expand and Cannes acquisitions grow
In remarks published by Deadline on July 16, 2026, Bijli pointed to strong domestic theatrical performance, despite streaming growth and weaker Hollywood release pipelines in other markets, and described ongoing efforts to widen film slates through international acquisitions.
India’s theatrical box office has recovered faster than many other parts of Asia, and 2025 delivered record results even as streaming continues to expand and global film release schedules face disruption, PVR Inox executive Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said in an interview published by Deadline on July 16, 2026.
Bijli described India as one of the few markets in the region that has outstripped pre-pandemic revenue levels, noting that theatrical income reached a record-breaking 1.48 billion dollars in 2025. He tied the rebound to continued audience demand for cinema releases, while also pointing to market conditions that have made box office weaker elsewhere.
In the same interview, Bijli acknowledged that streaming growth is changing how audiences watch films, and he pointed to additional headwinds affecting theater attendance in other international territories, including a slowdown in the Hollywood pipeline. He framed India’s results as coming despite those cross-market pressures rather than because the industry is moving uniformly in one direction globally.
Bijli also discussed cinema expansion efforts, saying the company is working to build capacity and widen access to theatrical releases as the market grows. The comments were made in the context of how exhibition operators manage slate planning, screen utilization, and audience expectations when entertainment distribution is becoming more fragmented.
A further area of focus was how PVR Inox is approaching high-profile acquisitions from international festivals. Bijli referenced Cannes as part of the company’s ongoing acquisitions haul, describing the strategy of bringing select films to Indian screens even as global studios and distributors adjust release patterns.
The interview was presented by Deadline as an exclusive discussion of India’s box office recovery, cinema expansion, and the company’s festival-to-theater pipeline. The accompanying Deadline article includes a photo of Bijli.
No additional details about specific acquisition titles, screen counts, or geographic expansion targets were included in the published summary provided for this coverage, and those figures were not incorporated into this report.
Why It Matters
- Record 2025 box office underscores that theatrical exhibition remains a major entertainment revenue channel in India even as streaming expands.
- If other markets continue to face slower Hollywood pipelines, India’s relative performance may affect how international distributors sequence releases for different territories.
- Expansion by an exhibition operator like PVR Inox can influence job creation in the sector, investment in theater infrastructure, and access for audiences to new releases.
- Festival acquisitions can shape what films reach mainstream screens, potentially affecting consumer choice and competitive positioning among exhibitors.
Sources
Key Facts
- Sanjeev Kumar Bijli spoke in an interview published by Deadline on July 16, 2026.
- The Deadline summary says India’s theatrical market has outstripped pre-pandemic revenues.
- The summary states that 2025 box office reached a record-breaking 1.48 billion dollars.
- The interview cites streaming growth and a slowdown in the Hollywood release pipeline as factors that have hampered box office performance in other international territories.
- The Deadline summary says Bijli discussed PVR Inox’s cinema expansion plans.
- The interview also mentions Cannes acquisitions as part of PVR Inox’s film slate strategy.