National Cinema Day sets new record, brings 6.5 million moviegoers to theatres

The Multiplex Authority of India’s National Cinema Day on September 23, which welcomed moviegoers to celebrate a day at the movies with discounted ticket prices, brought an estimated 6.5 million moviegoers of all ages to cinemas nationwide.

The Multiplex Authority of India (MAI) offered movie tickets for only Rs 75 across 4000 screens in the country on the occasion of Cinema Day on September 23. This brought a record number of movie lovers to cinemas on Friday to celebrate National Cinema Day. More than 6.5 million moviegoers visited cinemas on the occasion.

MAI announced that a record number of cinephiles visited cinemas on September 23. "A record number of 6.5+ Million (estimated) moviegoers visited their local cinema today to celebrate the National Cinema Day. The one-day initiative has seen a massive response from the Indian moviegoers, with shows starting as early as 6.00 am due to an unprecedented demand for the movie tickets. Audiences of all ages came together and country’s cinema operators reported house-full shows throughout the day, making 23 September the highest attended day of the year," read MAI's note.

MAI also thanked the moviegoers. "National Cinema Day celebrated the successful reopening of cinemas and is a ‘thank you’ to the moviegoers who made this happen. The massive success of the initiative reinforces the fact that the appeal of the cinema experience is universal, enduring and deep rooted in the minds of the Indian audiences," the note further read.

Due to state regulations with respect to cinemas and ticket pricing, in some of the states, ie Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, theatres were not able to participate in the National Cinema Day. Meanwhile, participating cinemas in all states (including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala) made special offers on National Cinema Day.