National Cinema Day draws over 6.5 million viewers to theatres

National Cinema Day was celebrated on September 23 to commemorate the successful reopening of movie halls

Over 6.5 million people went to the theatres on National Cinema Day, which was celebrated on Friday to commemorate the successful reopening of movie halls, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) has announced.

More than 4000 screens from across the country, including cinema chains like PVR, INOX, Cinepolis, Carnival, Miraj, Citypride, Mukta A2, Movie Time, Wave, M2K and Delite, participated in the initiative.

As part of the one-day event, various cinema halls started shows at 6 a.m. on Friday, offering “celebratory admission price” of ₹75.

“Audiences of all ages came together to celebrate this historic day at the cinemas. We are thankful to the 6.5 plus million moviegoers who attended their local cinema to purchase movie tickets, making 23 September the highest attended day of the year for the Indian cinema industry,” MAI president Kamal Gianchandani said in a statement.

Theatres across the country have been struggling to record a decent footfall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The National Cinema Day, which was celebrated weeks after the release of Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt’s blockbuster hit “Brahmastra: Part One Shiva”, led to a good turnout.

Filmmaker R. Balki’s thriller “Chup: Revenge of the Artist” and R. Madhavan-starrer “Dhokha: Round D Corner” also witnessed positive response at the ticket window.