PVR Inox Ltd's latest facility, dubbed PVR-Inox Passport, is a monthly weekday subscription pass priced at ₹699 for moviegoers.
PVR Inox passport not applicable to South India. (Supplied)
By now most of the cinema lovers in India, especially those who frequently visit multiplexes to quench their thirst for entertainment, would be aware of a new passport facility that has just arrived.
Yes, you guessed it right. It’s the monthly subscription plan introduced by PVR Inox Ltd, the leading Indian chain of multiplexes, that we are talking about — the PVR-Inox Passport facility.
It’s a monthly weekday movie pass under which film lovers can watch 10 movies every month for just ₹699. But the offer is valid only from Monday to Thursday. The PVR-Inox Passport comes with a three-month lock-in period and the PVR Inox Ltd is currently offering only 20,000 passes.
Apparently, the subscription plan has a long list of terms of conditions attached to it. However, the most significant of them all is that it excludes the entire South region!
This has certainly irked the cinema-goers in South India, leaving them amused as to why such an initiative, though a pure business model, excludes them from availing such facilities.
A screenshot of the PVR app. (Supplied)
Soon after learning that the so-called PVR-Inox Passport facility is not applicable for the entire South India region, several cinephiles from down South took to their social media platforms to express their anguish at the bias.
A few simply termed it as a pure business move, dismissing the claim of the leading cinema chain that it is aimed at irrigating the film industry and motivating the consumers to frequently visit theatres.
On condition of anonymity, a former employee of a multiplex chain told South First that there could be two main reasons behind excluding the facility from the South region. “Usually, the leading multiplex chain would want to test the water in the North region, which has better experience than compared to the South, before it extends the same to the rest of the country.”
He further added, “Another reason could be the tie-ups with banks. Once they feel more confident and worth the business model, the South region could be included in the coming days.”
Another employee opined that the reason could be the dynamic nature of the South Indian market compared to the North.
The exclusion of South India has certainly invited huge criticism on social media.
An X user posted that “it is a joke to exclude the South” despite the region being the “biggest money-spinning” industry in the country.
What a joke. Entire south region is excluded.
Biggest money spinning industries of the country but still excluded 😬😬 pic.twitter.com/eNujlTuHlL
— Haricharan Pudipeddi (@pudiharicharan) October 16, 2023
A top PVR official, on condition of anonymity, told South First that PVR-Inox Platform is currently not applicable in five Southern states in this phase. He didn’t wish to comment anything about further this.
AB George, a film trade analyst, wrote on X: “You betrayed your patrons”.
WATCH 10 MOVIES – Every Month at PVR INOX from Monday to Thursday for any movie, just at ₹699 !!
But NOT APPLICABLE IN ENTIRE SOUTH INDIA..!!
YOU BETRAYED your BEST PATRONS @_PVRCinemas & @INOXMovies 🫡 pic.twitter.com/LS4DAXqmCP
— AB George (@AbGeorge_) October 16, 2023
While some defended the move because ticket pricing in the South is more or less controlled by the governments and the pricing is already less when compared to the North, a majority counter the pricing of ticketing in the South with an example of exorbitant ticket prices in Bengaluru.
While the debate is on over the decision to exclude the South Region, many are calling to boycott the multiplex chain.
The entire South should boycott PVR-INOX theaters because of their continuous bigotry against South India.@_PVRCinemas @INOXMovies pic.twitter.com/8dnlvD1DOF
— Fukkard (@Fukkard) October 16, 2023
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